Of Sunsets and Night Skies
by speed killz
Summary: Pure feel-good Bumblebee one-shots and small multi-chaptered short stories. Occasional White Rose. Sexual content will vary greatly between stories. From innocent snowball fights, to chasing the reincarnation of their soulmate through time, relax and let your imagination run wild as we explore the indomitable love between our favourite huntresses.
1. Daydreams

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter One: Daydreams_

* * *

 _It was cold outside. Freezing, actually, but that didn't bother the raven-haired Faunus. She watched the snow fall on the other side of the window from the comfort of her room, a warm cup of hot chocolate in her hands. A rustling sound behind her made her ears twitch reflexively, but she paid the sound no mind as she raised the glass and took another sip, careful not to burn her tongue._

 _"What time did you say your sister and Weiss would be here?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the gently falling flakes._

 _Near silent footsteps brought a brilliant golden-haired girl up behind her, stopping only when their bodies were inches from touching._

 _"Not for a while..." The slightly taller girl whispered, knowing she didn't have to get close for the cat-like girl to hear her._

 _She got close anyway. Leaning down, her lips inches from Blake's ears, she reached out and put her hands on Blake's hips, pulling her close._

 _"Not for at least half an hour." Her warm breath tickled the girl's skin._

 _"Yang..." The name was whispered in a breathy moan, Blake responding almost against her will as she pushed herself back against Yang's hips._

 _Yang responded by growling softly in her ear._

 _"Keep that up, you'll awaken the demon." She warned._

 _Blake tilted her head to the side, reaching up and wrapping her arms around Yang's neck. Yang needed no more invitation than that, nuzzling her nose against Blake's throat as she inhaled the unique, almost cinnamon-like scent that only Blake had._

 _"Maybe that's exactly what I want." Blake muttered, pushing back once more against the slightly taller girl._

 _Yang dug her fingers into Blake's hips, raking her nails across her hip bones before taking her in her strong grip and spinning her around._

 _Blake let out an involuntary yelp as Yang swiftly relieved her of her cup, setting it down on the counter and pushing it aside. Reaching down, her hands roughly groped Blake's rear before picking her up and setting her down on the counter. Immediately, Blake spread her legs as Yang's lips sought out her own, and Yang wasted no time pressing her body tight to Blake's. Blake wrapped her legs around Yang's waist, pulling her close and hooking her heels together to keep her there. The kiss was hot and fevered, and Blake's hands sought out any bare skin she could find, running her hands over Yang's bare forearms and feeling the heat radiating off her._

 _Yang's hands slid up her back underneath her shirt, nails scraping down her back and leaving light red scratches on her skin as she-_

"Blake!"

Blake blinked a few times, harshly pulled back to reality as a voice interrupted her reverie. Immediately, a dark blush stained her cheeks as she felt the heat rising along the back of her neck, and her heart skipped a beat as she realized just exactly what she had been daydreaming about.

"Blake!"

She heard her name called again, and she took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm her pounding heart before she lowered the book that she hadn't been reading. Looking up, she saw Yang walking toward her, only a few steps away now.

"Hey, partner!" Yang said, a grin on her face as she winked at the Faunus. "You ready to meet up with Ruby and Weiss? It's almost time!"

Blake stared blankly at Yang for a moment, memories of her day dream flashing unbidden through her mind before she willed them to the back of her mind. Looking down at her book, she gently dog-eared the page in lieu of a bookmark, before closing it slowly. Beside her, a worn black backpack sat beside her on the floor, and she carefully pulled it into her lap before slowly and methodically placing her book inside and zipping it up. Sure that the heat had faded from her cheeks by now, she pulled herself to her feet, and wiped off the non-existent dust from her backside.

Nodding to Yang, she fell in step beside her as they walked to the exit of the university.

To say that Blake kept to herself would be an understatement. Blake had little patience for most trivial nonsense, and the majority of people made the hair on the back of her neck stand up just by opening their mouths; metaphorically speaking.

She was painfully aware of how little real world romantic experience she had. Everything she knew, or thought she knew, she got from graphic novels and romance books. She used to be content with her little flights of fancy and the butterflies she got when reading something steamy in her books, but for the last few months, she had found herself day dreaming outside of her comfort zone, and it was starting to become an issue. She found herself day dreaming at the most inappropriate of times, and it seemed like it was something she couldn't control.

"...Glad that they're happy, but seriously, do they have to get all doe-eyed right in front of us?"

Blake's ears twitched under her ribbon as she tuned into Yang's complaining voice.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Blake asked softly. "I was distracted."

Yang glanced at her from the corner of her eye, then shrugged nonchalantly at the demure woman.

"I was just saying how I'm glad that Ruby and Weiss have their thing going on, but for some reason it irritates me when they get all handsy with each other in front of me. Maybe it's because it's my sister?" Yang mused, now talking more to herself than Blake.

"Or am I envious because I don't have someone, I wonder?"

At this Blake cast a questioning glance at the lithe girl striding confidently along beside her, hips swaying mesmerizingly from side to side as she walked.

"What are you talking about? You're the most flirtatious member of our group, you could easily have whoever you wanted."

At this Yang grinned wolfishly, and Blake was faintly reminded just how bold this girl could be when she wanted to.

"That's true, I suppose." Yang said, running her fingers through her luscious golden locks as her lilac eyes slid over to glance at Blake. "It's fun getting boys all flustered, though. I just like the attention."

Blake didn't offer a reply, instead opting to stay silent.

 _'Just boys' attention...?'_ She wondered.

Yang sped up slightly, stepping in front of Blake to push open the door and hold it open for the slightly shorter girl.

Blake nodded her thanks to Yang as she stepped through, the girl humming happily as she followed Blake through. Falling into step by her side, Yang threw an arm carelessly around Blake's shoulders, pulling her close.

Blake let her head fall, hair obscuring the light tint that she could feel overtaking her cheeks. Some days she wished she didn't have such a pale complexion, she thought, as Yang's hand dangled enticingly close to her chest. Blake was about to protest the contact, but decided not to question her rambunctious and often spontaneous partner, instead choosing to tilt her head to the side and lean on Yang's shoulder.

It turns out Yang was a bit more thoughtful than Blake gave her credit for; the falling snow and chill in the air was effectively nullified by Yang as she ramped up her Semblance, heat rolling off her skin in waves.

Blake shivered in undisguised pleasure as the warmth permeated her body, and they trudged through the dusting of snow lining the parking lot without a care. Rolling the dice on her actions, Blake unfolded her arms and slipped her right arm around Yang's waist, pushing herself up against the other girl in an attempt to get as much heat as she could from her.

Yang giggled softly at the uncharacteristic contact, but otherwise said nothing, not wanting to embarrass her partner.

Blake heard the giggle, but seeing as Yang wasn't saying anything, she decided to follow suit.

It wasn't long before they reached the building that housed their rooms, and this time Blake skipped forward, reluctantly pulling away from Yang to grab the door handle and swing it open.

Yang reached out and gently pinched Blake's cheek as she passed through the door, laughing at the scowl that Blake threw her way.

Blake followed Yang through the doorway, head still down in relative embarrassment. Now though, her eyes were drawn to Yang's mesmerizing hips as they swayed in front of her. Amber eyes slid back and forth fluidly as she became entranced by Yang's smooth movements, and everything else was pushed from her mind as she lagged a few steps behind.

From the way her narrow waist flared out into enticingly wide hips, to the way her ass looked like it was begging to be squeezed, Blake couldn't believe that Yang got away with looking how she did. A familiar heat taking over her body, she stalked closer to Yang, unconsciously licking her lips as her ears became faintly aware that Yang had begun speaking again. Padding ever closer to the seemingly oblivious girl on silent feet, she reached out, almost close enough to-

Yang whirled around suddenly, coming to a stop as Blake plowed right into her, not having the presence of mind to avoid a collision.

Yang reached out and grabbed her wrists to steady her, as Blake shook her head in confusion.

"What do you think you're doing, Blakey?" Yang asked, her voice low. Blake raised her head, amber eyes wide as she met Yang's lilac gaze.

For the first time in a while, Blake was left speechless, unable to form words as Yang stared at her with that confident, sexy grin on her face that only she seemed to be able to pull off.

"Didja see something you liked?" Yang asked, voice nearly a whisper now but knowing full well that Blake could still hear her. Still holding Blake's wrists in her powerful grip, she raised Blake's arms up a bit and pulled her close, dominating the young girl with her absolute superior strength.

Blake had a feeling that this was moving beyond flirty friend behaviour, and once more she could feel that damnable blush creeping up on her cheeks.

Astounding how nothing ever made Yang embarrassed, she thought.

The smirk slowly slipped from Yang's face, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she slowly leaned in toward Blake.

"Because I do."

* * *

Author's note: These characters are difficult for me to write. I admire all the fanfics that I see in this fandom that seem to be able to nail the characters of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang so easily, because to me, they're quite unique in how they're portrayed and written. Feel free to leave a review telling me what you think, I'll be updating this sporadically with one-shots as I try to improve my understanding of these characters and how to keep them somewhat realistic. Thanks for reading!


	2. Comfortable Scents

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Two: Comfortable Scents_

It took everything she had to approach the thing. Trembling in fear, she had begun by walking wide circles around it. It stared at her, head tilted to the side as it followed her every move with those beady little eyes. When she narrowed the gap between them just the slightest bit, it sat back on it's haunches, as if they were playing a game.

Her ears twitched beneath her ribbon at the movement, and she inhaled deeply to calm herself before approaching the offending animal slowly once more.

"Eaaaaasy, Zwei." She crooned, the tremor in her voice giving away her apparent nervousness.

The dog responded to the sounds by tilting it's head the other way, and at no sign of an impending attack, Blake slowly withdrew a few treats from the bag in her hand. Immediately the dog pushed itself off it's haunches, straightening up on it's four furry little legs.

Blake dangled the treat out in front of her as far as she could reach, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as the animal slowly approached her. Slowly moving the treat toward her bed, she gently coaxed the animal up onto her bed. When it hopped up, she grinned, tossing the treat at the dog and watching it devour the foul smelling brick happily.

"Good...dog." She said, before tossing it another one for good measure. Wrinkling her nose at the crumbs left on her bed, she slowly retreated to Weiss' side of the room, and tucked the bag of treats back in her drawer.

* * *

That was weeks ago, Blake remembered. Now, with constant training, Zwei's favourite place to lay and sleep was on Blake's bed. The others had no idea how or why Zwei started sleeping on Blake's bed, and Blake herself offered up no reason, instead merely watching as Weiss gently scolded the dog before picking it up off Blake's bed and setting it on the floor before casting Blake an apologetic look.

Now, they were heading back to their room after a long training session, and bumping shoulders beside her was Yang, yawning loudly as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

Heart pounding in her chest, Blake decided that tonight was the night. She would definitely summon up the courage to act tonight, and nothing would stop her. Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she waited patiently as Weiss unlocked the door.

It was late; as Blake had planned, pushing their workout furth and further into the evening until even the ever-energetic Yang was begging for rest. Ruby was standing closer to Weiss than usual, letting her head fall onto Weiss' shoulder every time they came to a stop. For her part, the heiress was too tired to protest, and let the girl nod off on her.

Pushing open the door, Weiss entered with Ruby close behind her. Yang stood back and motioned for the raven-haired girl to enter before her, and Blake nodded her thanks as she stepped across the threshold. Just as she had hoped, Zwei was curled up on her bed, crumbs littering the blanket around the small animal as it slept away.

"Ugh, Zwei...again, really?" Weiss mumbled.

Feigning indifference, Blake waved it off nonchalantly.

"Just let Zwei have it tonight." She said.

Immediately three pairs of eyes turned to her in surprise, but Blake had already thought up the perfect excuse, having anticipated this reaction.

"The sheets already smell like dog." She said. "I'm not sleeping there tonight, and I'm definitely not staying up late enough to do laundry. I'll do it tomorrow, meanwhile, he can sleep out the night there."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing. Ruby, on the other hand, opened the fridge, looking at Blake as she did so.

"So where are you going to sleep?" She asked.

This, Blake didn't have an answer to. Not that she hadn't anticipated it, but she couldn't think of something that made sense. It was better just to wing it, she had decided.

"I don't know." She replied honestly. "Preferably somewhere that doesn't smell like dog."

Ruby looked up at her own bunk, then her shoulders drooped. "Ehh, I've had Zwei in my bed before, mine's out."

Weiss nodded. "Mine's a no go too, Zwei used to live on my bed." She shrugged apologetically. "Plus, I don't share blankets very well."

Ruby shot Weiss a look over the top of the refrigerator door, but it's effectiveness was diminished by the fact that her mouth was full of banana bread and crumbs littered her cheeks.

Blake turned to Yang, but Yang was already pulling herself up into her own bunk, laying down with her back to the group.

"Wow, Yang, really tired eh?" Ruby mumbled, following Blake's gaze.

A soft groan was heard, and then silence for a few seconds.

Weiss' gaze slid from Ruby to Blake for a split second, and just as she was about to re-offer to remove the offending animal, Yang's soft voice cut through the air.

"If you're gonna sleep with me, get in here." She said, pulling back a corner of the blanket, not bothering to turn over and face the three girls still in the kitchen.

Blake could barely contain her excitement as she hauled herself up onto the top bunk above her currently canine-infested bed, and with her heart hammering in her chest, she slid under the blankets. Yang dropped the blanket, her back to Blake, and her hand returned to her side.

Blake's sensitive ears could hear Ruby snickering softly, and then suddenly silenced as Weiss hissed at her. Ignoring them, she shivered softly as she pulled the blankets tighter around her, rubbing her legs together as she tried to create some warmth.

"Cold?" Came Yang's sleepy voice, and Blake opened her eyes to stare at Yang's back, inches from her.

"Mmmm...a bit." She muttered softly in reply.

Heaving a tired sigh, Yang slowly rolled over until she was facing Blake. Their eyes met as Yang nuzzled into her pillow, getting comfortable, before she spoke again.

"Turn around."

"Huh?" Blake asked, heat stealing over her cheeks as Yang studied her closely.

"Turn over." The golden-haired girl reiterated, raising her hand and making a spinning motion with her finger.

Blake complied, turning around and sliding her arm underneath the pillow they shared, wondering what was going through Yang's head.

Now facing away from the wall, she could see Weiss tucking herself into her own bed across from her, and Ruby had climbed onto her bed at the top of the bunk. She was currently leaning against the wall, "reading" a book as she kept sneaking looks over the top at Blake and her sister, Yang.

Suddenly, there was an arm around her waist-no, her hips, as Yang reached quite low around her hips and pulled her roughly closer. Blake let out an embarrassed squeak as Yang tightened her grip around Blake's hips, fingertips digging into her soft skin as she pressed her chest against Blake's back. Burying her nose against Blake's neck, she inhaled deeply, slowly, before waves of heat began rolling off her skin, courtesy of her Semblance.

"Now, go to sleep...Blakey." She murmured, lips tickling the back of Blake's neck and sending a very different kind of heat through her body.

An uncontrollable tremor rippled through her body, and by the way Yang's lips curled into a smirk on the back of her neck, Blake knew that Yang had felt it.

Her embarrassment level was exceeded only by her relative comfort as heat pooled through her body, soothing her aching muscles and lulling her to sleep.

Just before she nodded off, she was faintly aware of Ruby squealing in delight; which was quickly silenced with a swift kick to the mattress from the girl in the bunk below her.

* * *

Ruby leaned up against Weiss' shoulder as they both sat on her bed, and in a rare moment of peace, Weiss didn't shy away from Ruby's touch. Raising a cup of hot chocolate to her lips, Ruby hummed softly.

"I wonder how Yang is sleeping through that right now." Ruby muttered, taking a sip.

Blake had somehow shifted during the night, and was now facing Yang, pressed as close to her as the lithe Faunus could get. Her forehead was pressed against Yang's throat, and emanating from the raven-haired girl was the loudest purr any of them had ever heard.

"She woke us up, that's for sure." Weiss agreed, reaching over and taking the cup from Ruby's hands. Raising it to her lips, she took a sip, shooting the dejected girl a sly look.

Ruby frowned, then grabbed the cup back, holding it close to her chest as she shied away from Weiss.

"Really?" Was all Weiss had to say, folding her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow in disbelief, before Ruby was pressed back to her side.

"That's what I thought." The smug heiress said, putting an arm around the girl.

"Seriously, how is she still asleep?" Weiss whispered.

"I'm not." Came Yang's soft, sleepy voice from the top of the bunk. "But she is, and if you wake my partner, there will be hell to pay."

Author's note: I'm really starting to thoroughly enjoy the Bumblebee. Reviews, thoughts, criticisms, prompts, it's all welcome. Hope you enjoyed.


	3. Well, They're Adults Part One

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 3: Well, They're Adults, Pt. 1 of 2_

 _White Rose, Bumblebee_

"Blaaaake."

An ear twitch. Nothing more.

"Blaaaaaaaaaake."

An irritated sigh.

"Blake, God-damnit, don't you ignore me." A golden-haired girl was laying on her back on her bunk, head tilted over the edge as she stared upside down at the Faunus sitting on Weiss' bed.

"What!? What do you want, Yang?" Blake looked up from her book, an irritated look on her face. Her irritation instantly faded however, when her amber gaze met lilac. Features softening, she slowly dog-eared the page of the book she was reading and closed it, setting it aside.

Yang grinned at the swift change of temperament in the girl below her, and stuck out her tongue teasingly at the dark-haired beauty.

"I'm bored."

"As you were ten minutes ago." Blake replied, fingers already inching toward her book. "And five minutes before that, as well."

Yang's dark eyes slid slowly from Blake's face to the book she was reaching for, and her gaze narrowed. Kicking up her feet, she launched herself backward over the edge of the bed on the top bunk, eyeing the rapidly approaching ground as she pulled her feet beneath her. Landing softly, she spun around to face Blake, the world once again right side up.

"I saaaaid...I'm bored." Yang spoke softly this time, reaching up to slide a finger down her neck suggestively. Blake's sharp gaze didn't miss a movement, and this time her eyes widened slightly as she caught Yang's meaning.

"RIght now?" She asked, gaze flicking to the door in uncertainty.

Yang followed her gaze for but a moment, before returning to the hesitant girl in front of her.

"Yeah, why not?"

Blake bit her lip, uncertainty written clear across her features.

"Well..."

Yang never gave her a chance to think any more on the subject, grinning naughtily as she dived toward the girl on the bed, earning a loud yelp of surprise from her as Yang immediately went for the ribbon.

"Aaaaaand...begone!" Yang exclaimed, whipping off the offending bow with a flourish, tossing it aside.

"Y-Yang..."

Yang couldn't contain herself any longer, and she set herself upon her girlfriend with eager anticipation. Pinning the slightly shorter girl to the bed beneath her, Yang shifted her weight until she was straddling the Faunus, her long black hair fanned out on the bed like her own personal halo. Soft, furry black ears twitched in anticipation, giving away Blake's true desires to the one who knew her best.

Leaning down, Yang gently took the tip of one of her ears into her mouth, sucking gently on it before nipping it with her teeth. A moan-turned-gasp escaped Blake, and she twisted her head to the side, twitching her ear out of Yang's light grasp. Taking this opportunity for revenge, she bared her teeth and licked her elongated canines, before biting down ferociously on Yang's exposed throat.

A loud moan, louder than Yang had intended, echoed throughout their empty room as Yang's muscles relaxed under Blake's love-bite. Smirking, Blake reached up and wrapped her arms around Yang's shoulders, pulling the girl closer until Yang was pressed tightly to her. Using one hand to pull Yang's voluptuous hair away from her neck, the other cradled the curve of her ass, squeezing and groping shamelessly.

Releasing her fanged grip on Yang's neck, Blake took a second to lick up the small spots of blood that flowed to the surface of the light puncture wounds. Attaching her lips once more to Yang's throat, she sucked gently, feeling her lover's body tremble against her own.

Yang's breathing was heavy now, as desire flooded through her body, thrashing and demanding to be released. Her hands found Blake's hips, and she squeezed them hard before gripping the edge of her shirt, tugging gently at it.

Blake took that as a cue to release her prisoner, and no sooner had her lips left Yang's neck than she was pulled upright into a seated position, Yang's lips hungrily finding her own in a passionate kiss as Yang pulled at her shirt.

Breaking the kiss only for a second to remove Blake's shirt, they resumed once the shirt had been pulled off and tossed to the floor.

Yang's fingers anxiously clawed at the clasp of Blake's bra, fingernails accidentally scratching her bare back as she did. A second later, and Yang simply shredded the undergarment, tearing it from Blake's body in such an act of passion that Blake couldn't even be angry at the destruction of one of her favourite bras. It too was flung aside, as Yang hungrily descended on Blake's tight, flawless skin. Nails sliding down Blake's ribcage, long red welts appeared as physical markers of where Yang had clawed at her. Mouth falling on one of Blake's perfect, soft breasts, she took the nipple into her mouth and began sucking with vigor, tongue flicking over it and earning a low, throaty moan from Blake. Blake's hands roamed across Yang's still-clothed back, clenching her fists in Yang's long locks of hair as waves of pleasure began rolling over her, clouding her mind and interfering with her ability to think.

Blake could feel Yang's skin getting hotter to the touch, an unconscious physical manifestation of her Semblance fueled by her desire. Soon enough, Yang would go to that special place that she only went to when she was playing with Blake, and Blake's stomach fluttered in anticipation. The first time it had happened had been terrifying, she remembered, but now...now she looked forward to it, every time. It wouldn't be long now, she thought.

"Y-Yang..." A breathy moan of her name, and that was all it took to set Yang off. Growling softly deep in her throat, Yang ground her teeth together as her eyes darkened. Reaching down, she gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it up over her head in one smooth move, tossing it to the floor with no regard for where it landed. Without hesitation, she leaned down, pouncing on Blake. Grabbing Blake's wrists, she pinned them above Blake's head and rendered the girl defenseless, still straddling her waist. Leaning down further, she put her nose to Blake's throat, inhaling deeply. This sent shivers down Blake's spine as Yang's nose slowly trailed down her throat to her collarbone. Washing her hot wet tongue over Blake's collarbone, she savored the taste of the girl as she inhaled deeply once again, a myriad of smells that constituted Blake's scent reaching her nose. The scent of her mint-laced body wash was mixed with the slight smell of sweat from today's earlier training session, and a dark blush crept across Blake's face as Yang breathed it in hungrily, warm tongue lapping at her throat and collarbone once more, teeth nipping at her skin as Yang all but devoured her.

"Yang, please..." Blake's voice was weak, a mere whimper as desire sapped her strength under Yang's relentless assault on her body.

Yang responded by roughly grabbing both of Blake's wrists in one of her hands, freeing up one to take a swipe at the button holding Blake's jeans around her waist. The thread stood little chance as she jerked roughly at it, popping the button clean off. Furiously ripping down the zipper, Yang reached up and grasped the waistband of Blake's jeans, tugging them down off her hips to leave them bunched around her knees.

Cool air washed over Blake's nearly naked body, and she shivered uncontrollably. Yang finally released her arms, this time going for the Faunus' wide hips. Pinning her hips to the bed, Yang kissed and licked her way down Blake's body as Blake entangled her hands in Yang's hair, moaning loudly in anticipation of where Yang was sending her tongue.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open, and a certain 15 year old brown-haired girl barged in, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"Sorry guys, I forgot my wall-Oh, fuck!" Her eyes went wide and she stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the scene in front of her.

Yang looked over her shoulder at the intruder, hissing her displeasure as Blake squirmed vainly beneath her, trying to cover up her exposed body.

"M-my bad, should have knocked. Uhh..." Ruby began backtracking, trying to find an excuse to leave with her pride intact. "Uhh...Weiss and I will be gone for a while, so...enjoy, I guess."

With that, Ruby turned on her heel and barged out, forgetting what she originally came in for in the first place.

Yang growled possessively as she turned her attention back to the squirming girl beneath her, and resumed her ministrations despite the deep blush of embarrassment that had flooded Blake's cheeks.

"Y-Yaang..." A soft whimper.

"Mine." An aggressive snarl escaped the golden-haired woman.

* * *

Author's Note: Part one of two. Hope you enjoyed reading this, I had fun writing it. Please review, let me know what you think. Also, I wrote this up at 6 in the morning after a nightshift, so please forgive/point out any spelling issues or things of that nature. I'm pretty much asleep at the keyboard at this point, but I had to get this out there. Enjoy!


	4. Well, They're Adults Part Two

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 4: Well, They're Adults, Pt. 2 of 2_

* * *

Ruby blinked several times, trying to figure out if what she had just witnessed was real or not. Walking on silent feet back to where Weiss was waiting, her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she realized there was something off about the scene she had stumbled upon, but she couldn't quite place it.

It was gnawing at her, her mind whirring as she tried to figure out what was bothering her so much. In front of her, the white-haired girl awaited.

"Well, did you get it?" Weiss asked the approaching girl.

"They were on your bed!" Ruby blurted out, eyes widening as she realized what was grinding on her.

"What? What are you talking about?" Weiss asked, an impatient tone creeping into her voice. "Why would your wallet be on my bed?"

Ruby stopped a few feet away from Weiss, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

"Wallet? Why would my wallet be on your bed?"

Weiss sighed in exasperation. This was one of those times where she pinched the bridge of her nose in true frustration, and not simply for effect.

"This conversation is quickly getting circular." She said. "Did you or did you not retrieve your wallet, like you intended?"

Ruby paused, patting her pockets. A second later, and an even louder, most unlady-like sigh escaped Weiss as Ruby chuckled softly.

"No...no I didn't."

"Ruby, sometimes, you make me weep for the future of humanity." Weiss commented dryly.

"Wow, Weiss, I didn't take you for the overly dramatic type."

"That's the thing, I'm not being dramatic. You literally went back for one item, and returned moments later without it. I'm seriously worried. When was the last time you had a physical? You might have something going on in that head of yours."

Ruby's face twisted into a glare, but it only served to make Weiss smile softly at the young girl.

"I'll have you know that I was distracted." Ruby proclaimed, and Weiss had to wonder if she imagined the hint of pride that she detected in her voice.

"Distracted by what?"

"Blake and Yang."

"Really? And what did they do to distract you?"

Ruby raised her hands, gesturing wildly as she emulated the actions she had seen. Her red tipped black hair hung wildly in front of her silver eyes as she raised her voice excitedly.

"Well, Blake didn't have a shirt on, and she was pinned to the bed by Yang, who also didn't have a shirt on, and Yang was all like, 'Grrrr!' on Blake, and-!"

Instantly, a deep stain overtook the heiress' cheeks, and she lunged forward, clamping her hand over Ruby's mouth, silencing her.

"I don't want to hear it!" Weiss said, staring into Ruby's surprised eyes.

They stayed that way for a second, Weiss uncomfortably close to the younger girl with her hand on her mouth, and Ruby with her hands still in front of her, hands curved into claws, imitating Yang's grip on Blake's hips.

Then, it seemed to click.

"And what the hell do you mean, they were on my bed?!" Weiss practically shouted, throwing her hands into the air and relinquishing her grip on Ruby.

"They were laying on your bed, while Yang went down on Blake." Ruby said, matter-of-factly.

Weiss froze, and a little voice in the back of her mind was screaming at her not to have this conversation with her fifteen year old leader, but curiosity got the better of her, and she relented.

"Uhh...Ruby, walk with me." She said. Ruby happily fell into step beside the older girl, and Weiss began plotting a course for the nearest coffee shop.

"Ruby..."

"Yes, Weiss?" Ruby grinned up at her, oblivious to Weiss' discomfort.

"First off, where did you hear that phrase?"

"What phrase?" Ruby asked.

Weiss' eyebrows furrowed slightly in distaste.

 _'I was bred too highly for this sort of thing!'_ She thought, before licking her lips.

"Went down on." Weiss said, feeling slightly dirtier for having uttered it. "Where did you hear it?"

"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed, silver eyes following the display window of a bakery store as they walked by.

"Uh, I didn't hear it, I read it!"

Weiss was sure that she didn't imagine the hint of pride in her voice this time.

"Where did you read it?"

"In one of Blake's books. She left it on her bed."

Weiss turned slightly to glance at the girl next to her.

"Did she leave it on her bed?"

Ruby's gaze slid down and to the left, and she stuck her hands in her pockets as she shrugged.

"She left it under her pillow." She clarified. "But the corner was sticking out, and I was curious!"

"Okaaay..." Weiss wasn't sure how to process this. The next question was going to be even more painful, she knew.

"Now, Ruby, do you know what that means?"

"Uhh...not really. It wasn't explained very well in the book, but the characters were in a position similar to what I saw Yang and Blake doing, so..."

"Well, that's not what it...wait. Did Yang and Blake have their pants on?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, yeah, that's definitely not what it means."

"Oh."

Weiss sighed, and for a moment it seemed as if the painful parts were over. Until Ruby spoke up, that is.

"So what does it mean, then?" Ruby asked.

Weiss nearly tripped over her own feet, but caught herself just in time to avoid embarrassing herself.

"I'm not going to explain that to you." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Turning her head to the side, her offset ponytail draped over her shoulder, and her fingers absent-mindedly found her long locks, twirling them around her finger as her mind wandered.

Her mind didn't wander for long though, as a soft tapping was brought to her attention. Turning to Ruby, her heart skipped a beat as she saw the scroll in her hand.

"Ruby...what are you doing?" Weiss asked carefully.

"Looking it up on the internet." Ruby said conversationally.

An embarrassed squeal escaping her, Weiss swiftly snatched the scroll from Ruby's grasp, closing it and stuffing it down the front of her shirt into her bra.

"That is something I cannot allow!" She declared, feeling the all-too-familiar heat pound through her cheeks. "At least, not while you're in public."

Ruby didn't seem too torn up about the declaration, and Weiss was reminded again just how innocent Ruby really was. Which was surprising, given that her older sister was...well...was Yang.

Stopping, Weiss turned to face the door of a well known coffee shop. Pulling open the door, she waved Ruby through first before following closely behind.

Heading for an empty table at the back that had seats on one side and a bench seat along the wall on the other, Weiss carefully pulled off her jacket and shook it out, before draping it over the back of the chair.

In stark contrast to Weiss' deliberate actions, Ruby dived into the bench seat, ignoring the pointed look that the stern, white-haired girl threw her way.

Taking a seat, Weiss carefully crossed her legs in the most appropriate manner, before picking up a thin coffee menu from the table.

"Hey, Weiss?" Ruby said her name softly, and Weiss was immediately intrigued. Putting down her menu temporarily, she brushed a stray lock of white hair behind her ear before answering.

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Do you know what it's like?" She asked.

Weiss raised an eyebrow, allowing her fingers to drum a silent pattern on the table.

"Do I know what...what is like?" She asked.

"What it's like to have what Blake and my sister have." She replied, picking up her menu and gazing at it with stormy silver eyes.

Weiss hummed softly, eyes never leaving Ruby's seemingly troubled face.

"Honestly, no. I don't."

"Oh."

Ruby was silent for a moment, and Weiss' gaze found it's way back to her menu. This time though, she was looking but not seeing, as her mind was elsewhere, focusing on Ruby's words.

"I wish I knew." Ruby said again, swinging her legs idly under the table.

Weiss smiled, examining the girl closely.

"Yeah? And why is that?"

Ruby shrugged. "It just seems nice. They seem so happy when they're around each other, and it seems like they really just...fit, you know?"

"Well," Weiss said, biting her lip before continuing. "They are very comfortable with each other. It's a result of being partners, as well as a mutual attraction to each other."

Ruby seemed to perk up at the mention of partners.

"Does that mean that you and I can have what they have?"

Weiss closed her eyes once more, fighting the urge to giggle. From the outside it must have appeared as if she were angry, as Ruby muttered a quick apology.

Ignoring that, Weiss spoke up.

"I don't think that'll work, Ruby."

Ruby's silver eyes widened, and her lips curved into an adorable frown.

"Why not?" Ruby asked. "We have the same thing they do, we're partners, plus i like you. Doesn't that count for something?"

Weiss smiled softly.

"I like you too, Ruby." She replied. "But, you're too young."

Clearly Ruby didn't like that answer, but she merely shrugged.

"I guess...hey, Weiss?"

Weiss looked up once more from her menu.

"Yes?"

"Can you sit over here with me?" Ruby asked, patting the bench beside her.

Weiss looked around, and, seeing no one looking her way, she flipped to the other side of the table. Suddenly, Ruby scooted up close to her until their shoulders were touching, and then she inhaled slowly, exhaling softly in a contented sigh.

"Is this okay, Weiss?" Ruby asked quietly.

Weiss bit her lip for a moment, before desire won out over restraint, and she put her arm around Ruby, pulling her closer. Ignoring the feelings swirling around in her stomach, eating at her self control, she leaned her head on Ruby's shoulder.

"This is fine, Ruby."

* * *

Author's Note: My first, but definitely not last, White Rose fic. Please review, let me know what you think. Especially if you notice any errors; I wrote this with my eyes closed this morning. Enjoy!


	5. Something Different Part One

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 5: Something Different, Part 1 of ?_

* * *

It was mid-afternoon on a beautiful, warm Friday in June. Standing outside a coffee shop and feeling quite awkward was a stunning raven-haired girl dressed in what she considered to be absolutely ridiculous clothing. Picked out for her by her friend, who insisted on helping her get ready for her date.

Her naturally voluptuous, slightly wavy hair had been straightened to within an inch of it's life, hanging down her back in silky straight sheets that ended at her hips. Self-consciously she reached up and brushed back the bangs hanging in front of her eyes, but it was useless. They flopped back down, partially obscuring her vision. Sighing in exasperation, she glanced up and down the street for this mystery person she had been set up with, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the storefront window. Her normal long sleeved shirt had been traded for a sleeveless black punk looking muscle shirt that clung tightly to her upper body, revealing more about her curves than she really felt comfortable disclosing. The V neck plunged deeply, revealing the color of choice for her bra: purple, today. Around her neck was a glittering silver chain, loaned to her without a second thought by her friend, who only half-jokingly told her not to lose it.

Her lower half was clad in a pair of black, skin tight jeans that bore tears in both of the knees. Around her waist was a white belt, moreso for looks than functionality; she doubted she would be getting out of these pants without the help of another person.

A pair of All-Stars rounded out her wardrobe, and she tapped the toe of her left foot on the concrete as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. It was encased in a combination phone case and credit card holder, and as she flipped it open, she made her ritualistic check of her debit and three credit cards, before unlocking her phone with a swift thumb press on the print scanner.

Scrolling through her messages, she stopped on the one labelled 'Weiss', before clicking on it. Bringing up her second hand to cradle her phone, her thumbs danced across the screen as she hurriedly typed out a message to her friend.

 _'Where the hell is this friend of yours? I look ridiculous standing out here. What kind of guy goes for a girl dressed like this? You better not have set me up with some immature party boy.'_

She had barely sent the message off before she was greeted with a swift reply, courtesy, no doubt, of Weiss' ability to dictate to her phone while she was driving.

 _'Blake, you're nearly twenty-four years old. I've watched you crash and burn on various dates, and to be honest, it's a little disappointing. You're a sweet girl with a lot to offer. I think you were just looking in the wrong places. Don't worry, I think I've found you a good one.'_

Blake sighed, wishing at this moment more than ever that she was back home curled up on her bed with her Kindle. She was in the middle of a story at the moment, and it seemed a lot more appealing right now than...whatever the hell she was standing out here for.

 _'Where the hell is he, anyway? I've been here for fifteen minutes already. Can I just leave?'_

The response she had been dreading rolled in, phone vibrating in her hand.

 _'Absolutely not. Under no circumstances are you to bail on this date. The person I've set you up with has had bad luck in the past and I think you two are perfect.'_

Blake's nose wrinkled in displeasure, and she didn't bother to reply as she closed her case and slid her phone back into her pocket.

"What a waste of a-"

Blake was cut off as an obnoxiously loud rumble reached her ears, faint but growing closer and louder with each passing second.

She was drawn to the noise, as were a few other bystanders, and she looked down the street, wondering what could be making such a disturbing racket.

It was a truck, driving toward them but slowing down as it approached an intersection a few hundred yards away.

Blake rolled her eyes, used to the lifted trucks that drove around here, mostly by young boys with too much of their parents' money.

"Please, please don't be my date. Don't let people see me getting into this truck with some snot nosed kid, pleaaaaase." She moaned softly to herself.

She was fully aware that she was starting to get bitchy; not a trait she was proud of, but she was in such uncomfortable clothing, and swiftly growing tired of the dating scene. Moreso now than ever, she wanted to be at home, alone and ears unassaulted by such noise.

She could see the light turn green, and immediately the noise from the truck increased as it surged forward, pushing black clouds of diesel exhaust into the air as the driver accelerated.

Blake watched as the truck drew closer, then she sighed, resigning herself to another terrible date as the truck slowed down, turn signal activating as the truck pulled over to the side of the road only a few feet from her.

Carefully she scrutinized the vehicle, noting the badges and decals down the sides of the black vehicle. It appeared to be lifted, and she couldn't see the driver as limo tint covered the windows.

The noise of the idling diesel motor assaulted her ears, and she noted with disinterest that the sound originated from a single stack in the bed of the truck, where she could also hear a peculiar whistling sound.

Just then, the driver's side door opened, and Blake, standing on the passenger side of the truck, saw someone hop out, falling to the ground.

Blake waited patiently, arms crossed, as the figure rounded the front of the truck, and she was half tempted to cancel on the spot.

Thinking that was a fantastic idea, Blake opened her mouth to speak, but her voice died in her throat as she laid eyes on a beautiful golden-haired girl, as she rounded the front of the truck.

The girl approached her, seemingly paying no mind to the idling monstrosity parked on the curb behind her, and Blake had to consciously close her mouth, lest she make a fool of herself.

"Hi, I'm Yang Xiao Long. You can call me Yang." The girl said, extending a hand smoothly toward the shocked girl. "I have to say, Weiss really did me a solid here. You're even prettier than your pictures let on."

Blake's eyes widened as she took the offered hand, shaking it clumsily as her free hand came up to brush her hair back out of her eyes.

"Uh..."

Yang grinned at her, releasing her hand after a quick pump.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"Uh, I'm Blake." Blake said lamely, unsure of exactly what was going on.

"You're uh...You're not my date, are you?" Blake asked, internally wincing at how rude that sounded.

Yang seemed to take no offense though, folding one arm across her stomach and bowing slightly.

"I sure am! Weiss didn't tell you?"

Blake blinked stupidly as she realized that Weiss had never actually said that she was getting set up with a guy. Terms like 'they' and 'them' had been thrown around, but Blake had been paying so little attention that she hadn't considered what that might have meant.

"I think there might have been a mixup." Blake said, a blush rising to her cheeks unbidden.

"I'm not a..." Blake trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Yang grinned mischievously at Blake's obvious discomfort, shifting her weight from one leg to the other as her hips swayed enticingly.

"Not a what?" Yang asked, the teasing clear in her voice. "A dyke?"

Blake's eyebrows furrowed at the term, and she tilted her head to the side, confused.

"Isn't that an offensive term?" She asked.

Yang winked at her. "Not when we use it."

"Oh." Was all Blake could say, and she took this momentary lapse to study the girl in front of her.

The golden-haired, lilac-eyed girl was a few inches taller than she was, and was clad in a white T-shirt that seemed to be stretched thin over a bulging chest, seemingly constrained only by the faded black leather jacket she wore over that. It was left undone, and seemed to be a motorcycle riding jacket. It was quite fitted to Yang's body, suggesting it was tailor made to her measurements. Her lower body was covered by a pair of worn blue jeans that sat low on her hips and hugged every curve on their way down to a pair of flat soled, high top white sneakers that didn't even appear to be laced up. They looked loose and comfortable on her feet, as if putting them on were merely an act of slipping into them and heading out the door.

Around her neck was a thin leather strap, and hanging from it, resting between her breasts, was a red 'Remove Before Flight' tag.

"Well, there's no point wasting the day." Yang spoke, noting the way Blake's eyes carefully traversed her body, taking in every detail.

"Want to just go out and get something to eat? It doesn't have to be a date, maybe today we both just made a new friend."

Blake's head tilted to the other side as she considered the offer, and she could feel her taped down ears twitching against their restraints under her hair as they fought to monitor her surroundings.

"That doesn't seem so bad." She finally conceded. Weiss would be upset with her if she blew off the girl, she knew, although Weiss was in for a good punch in the arm for setting her up with a girl.

"Great!" Yang grinned, gesturing toward her truck. "Let's go for a ride, we can talk more and learn about each other as we go."

Blake hesitantly approached the rumbling behemoth, and Yang walked past her to the passenger door. The handle to the door was nearly at her eye level, and she pulled it open easily. As she did, hidden foldaway sidesteps folded down from underneath the truck, making Blake's climb somewhat easier. Yang held the door open for her, then extended her hand in an offer to Blake, who hesitantly accepted it. Yang helped her into the truck, before closing the door after her and walking around to the driver's side.

Yang opened her door, and reached up, grabbing her steering wheel and easily hauling herself into the truck. As soon as the door closed, it was as if someone had shut off the sun. It may have been a bright, warm sunny day outside, but thanks to the darker than limo tint, inside it was cool and dark. Blake wiggled a bit on the leather seats, before reaching down and grabbing her seatbelt. Pulling it across her shoulder, she fastened it as Yang beside her did the same.

"Okay, we're off!" Yang exclaimed, reaching toward the column shifter and slapping it out of park and into drive.

Flicking her turn signal on the other way, she checked her extended tow mirrors for traffic before releasing the brake and mashing on the throttle.

Immediately the torque-y diesel motor responded, lugging them forward as Yang pulled out onto the road. Blake said nothing as she took in the physical sensation of this...this seemingly alive vehicle, this extension of Yang herself. The slight vibrations rolling through the cab from the motor were dampened marginally by the luxurious leather seats, but Blake's heightened senses were still painfully aware of how the vibrations made her lower regions respond.

The sound was even more intense, as the low rumble quickly elevated into a powerful, gutteral roar, a strong whistling sound accompanying the revving motor. Blake was pressed back into her seat as the truck accelerated, Yang grinning as she lazily rested her left wrist on top of the steering wheel, leaning on her right elbow on the center console that took up the space between their seats.

Reaching forward on the dash, Yang grabbed a pair of tinted aviators, and slid them on. Looking over at Blake, she grinned happily.

The smell was something Blake had never experienced before. At least, not this intense combination. It wasn't...bad, she realized, as she inhaled deeply through her nose. The truck smelled of diesel exhaust and leather cleaner, that deep woodsy scent that made her want more. Inhaling deeply again, she tuned into that deep throaty exhaust note as the vibrations rumbled through her body.

Then, it hit her all at once. This truck turned her on.

Luckily for Blake, it was dark inside the cab, otherwise the dark tint that flooded her cheeks would have been quite visible as she realized that she had never been turned on by a vehicle before.

Squeezing her legs together in an attempt to mute the vibrations rolling through her, she turned to Yang, remembering that the girl wanted to talk, to get to know her better.

"So, how old are you?" Blake asked, gazing idly out the window at the scenery whizzing by.

"Seventeen." Came the unexpected answer that had Blake raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Oh." Blake said, looking around the truck. "So...this isn't yours then, is it?"

Yang didn't seem offended by the implication, laughing at the question.

"It's mine." She said. "I don't have a mommy and daddy to foot bills for me."

Blake's eyes widened. "How?" She asked, awestruck by the girl beside her.

"I co-own a safety consulting company." Yang replied, taking her foot off the throttle to ease on the brakes. Immediately the vibrations disappeared, and the exhaust note died down to a deep gurgle.

"Wow." Was all Blake could say, taking in this new information.

"Wait, did Weiss tell you how old I was?" She asked, suddenly uncomfortable with the glaring age gap.

Yang glanced sideways at her, an ever-present cocky grin on her face.

"Nearly twenty-four." She replied, seemingly unbothered by the answer.

Blake fell silent for a moment, considering the implications.

"How do you know Weiss, anyway?" Blake asked. "I'm sure I would have heard about you by now if you were a long-time friend of hers, considering I know most of her friends."

Yang shrugged a one-shouldered shrug, the complete picture of indifference.

"We only met a few weeks ago." She replied. "I was hired to do a safety assessment on the company her father hired to build their new summer home in California." She said.

"So I got to take a nice drive down to California and spend a few days down there."

Blake hummed softly, imagining what a road trip like that would be like.

"You drove all the way down? By yourself?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah, they were going to pay to fly me down, but I refuse to be without my truck." She said, leaning forward and patting the dash affectionately.

Blake smiled at the gesture, already noting the quirky affectations this girl seemed to have.

"It's just a truck, though, isn't it?"

Yang turned to her with such a horrified look on her face that Blake immediately raised her hands, eyes widening as she stumbled over an apology.

"S-sorry!"

Yang's eyes narrowed as she studied Blake, then after an uncomfortably long period of time, turned her gaze back to the road as she leaned forward to pat the dash reassuringly.

"She didn't mean that, baby." Blake heard the girl mutter, and Blake couldn't suppress the stupid grin that spread across her face.

"No, it's not just a truck." Yang finally spoke, leaning back into her leather seat and turning on cruise control.

"It has everything I need to do my job properly, and it's my office away from my office. It has all my paperwork I need, and tons of storage for anything you could think of. It's the most expensive tool I could ever hope to own."

Blake was silent for a moment, before a thought occured to her.

"I can't believe how young you are." Blake mumbled.

Yang giggled softly, glancing at Blake from the corner of her eye.

"I would say that you're the more experienced one here, but Weiss told me that that isn't true at all."

Blake could feel the embarrassment heating up her face and neck.

"N-no, I haven't slept with anyone, ever. Which, given my age, surprises a lot of people."

Silence for a moment as Yang digested that information, then Blake's curiosity got the better of her.

"And you?" She asked.

Yang laughed softly, turning to look out her window.

"A few." She replied.

Blake bit her bottom lip, curious at the suddenly demure response from the lively girl.

"A few?" She copied.

Yang took it as disbelief, and nodded. "Well, more than a few." She conceded.

Blake was silent at the divulgence of this information, unsure of what to make of it.

In a moment of self doubt, Yang mistook her silence for disgust.

"I'm not a slut." Yang said, gripping her steering wheel tightly. "I thought it meant something."

Blake held up her hands again, shrugging her shoulders.

"Hey, it's none of my business what you do."

Yang was silent for a moment, then changed the subject, uneasy at how much and what kind of information she had already divulged.

"Where do you wanna eat?" She asked, slowing down as they entered a busy section of street.

Sensing Yang desperately wanted a change of subject, Blake hummed softly to herself.

"Uhh, I'm good with anything, really." She replied, internally sighing at how non-committal it sounded.

Yang nodded, before getting on the brakes and flicking on her turn signal.

"Anything, coming right up!" Yang proclaimed, slowing down and turning into the parking lot of a strip mall lined with fast food joints.

"Aaaaand...chicken, no, burgers, noooo...donairs? Yaaaaas." Yang purred, pulling expertly into an open spot outside of a small donair shop. Letting her truck idle for a moment, Yang studied the exterior of the small shop, her lips moving silently as she read the name of the shop and some of the signage in the window.

Blake studied the girl closer now, noting her smooth flawless skin and nearly perpetual, ever present flirty grin.

Yeah, Blake could see how this girl got herself into lots of trouble.

Suddenly, Yang keyed the truck off, and reached down, popping the latch on her seatbelt. Glancing over at Blake, she grinned widely.

"Ready, Blakey?"

* * *

Author's Note: Well, fuck. What was supposed to be a short one shot of two girls with no prior connection turned into quite the long-winded story. I'll consider this part one of maybe two or three. Obvious Bumblebee. I really wanted to try a Bumblebee one shot set outside of Beacon, where the girls didn't have any prior knowledge or contact with each other, so...this is that.

On the off chance anyone is wondering, the truck Yang is driving is an '06 Dodge Ram 2500 Megacab short box, black in color, with a Laramie edition interior, with power everything, including sunroof. The exhaust had been modified to include a straight stack sticking out of the box of the truck, right behind the sliding rear window. Obviously, this truck is modeled after a personal vehicle.

Reviews, thoughts, criticism, all appreciated. Click that review button and let me know what you think!


	6. Something Different Part Two

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 6: Something different Part 2 of ?_

* * *

"So?" Weiss asked, sprawling herself out on her stomach on her large bed in quite an un-heiress fashion.

"Tell me all the details." She prompted, resting her chin on her hands and staring at Blake.

Blake shrugged, sitting on the other end of the oversized bed with her phone in one hand and her Kindle in the other.

"It was really fun." She admitted. "For an outing that wasn't a date, it was pretty fun." She clarified.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "So you admit you enjoyed yourself."

Blake nodded in affirmation.

"But would you have gone if I had told you your date was a girl?"

Blake shook her head vehemently. "Of course not! And I'm pretty offended that you think I would just switch teams because I struck out a few times when I was up at bat."

Weiss leveled a stare at her.

"I'm not suggesting you switch teams, Blake." She said calmly, utilizing Blake's metaphor to continue their conversation.

"I'm suggesting you've been incorrectly playing for the wrong team, and you should go back to where you belong."

Blake stared at her, blinking slowly as she tried to figure out what Weiss was implying.

There was a moment of silence before Weiss sighed.

"I don't think you're cut out for men." She said. "I think you owe it to yourself to broaden your horizons and give yourself a chance to find happiness."

"No."

Weiss' eyes widened slightly, not used to being flat out refused. She opened her mouth to speak, but Blake cut her off.

"No. No, no, no. Hell no. Absolutely not." She declared with finality, before returning her gaze to her phone.

Weiss contemplated the vehement denial that Blake offered, before clearing her throat softly.

"Yang texted me this morning." Weiss said softly.

Blake's head shot up from her phone quicker than Weiss had ever seen, and for a second, there was a hopeful look on Blake's face before it was replaced with a blank expression.

"Oh?" Blake asked, and Weiss knew damn well she was faking the disinterest.

Weiss nodded. "She mentioned that she didn't get your number last night after your...not-date."

Blake's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't interrupt.

"She asked if she could get it from me, and she said that she wanted to ask you to come out again, but seeing as you're flat out not interested, I figure I'll give you Yang's number instead, that way you can let her down easy your own way. Tell her you're not interested."

Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew her own phone. Swiftly unlocking it, she copied and pasted Yang's number into a message for Blake, and sent it.

"She likes you, Blake." Weiss said, staring directly at her and refusing to break eye contact.

"I don't want to see her hurt, so if you don't tell her you're not interested, I will. That way you both can move on."

Blake bit her lip, indecision clear on her face.

"Weiss..."

Weiss said nothing as Blake glanced down at her phone, the message Weiss sent a moment earlier arriving in her inbox.

"Go on, shoot her a text. Tell her you're not interested." Weiss prompted.

"Weiss..." This time there was a slight whine to her voice.

"Yes, Blake?"

"Just...just give me a minute, okay?" Frustration was clear in her voice, and Weiss hoped that she hadn't miscalculated and pushed too hard.

"Fine."

There was silence between them for a few moments as Blake typed out a message on her phone. It didn't take long, and after Blake had pressed 'send', she set her phone down and sighed.

"You've done it?" Weiss asked.

Blake bit her lip, glancing down at her phone. "I will..."

Light blue eyes stared at Blake's phone from the other side of the bed, the owner dying to know what Blake had said, but not wanting to stoop so low as to ask to see her text messages.

Opening up her own phone, she composed her own message to Yang, curiosity getting the better of her.

 _'Hey Yang, Blake just sent you a message. What did she say, if you don't mind me prying?'_

Tossing her phone down onto the bed in front of her, she slid her gaze up to meet amber eyes.

They stared wordlessly at each other for a few moments, as Weiss mentally willed Blake to agree to a second date.

Suddenly, Weiss' phone lit up in front of her, and she broke the staring contest to pick it up.

 _'She just said good morning, and asked what I was up to today. It's mostly just small talk at this point.'_

Weiss read the message a few times, trying to find any indication of where the conversation was heading, but grew frustrated when she couldn't find anything.

Weiss let this go on for another twenty minutes, watching Blake alternate between texting Yang and reading something on her Kindle, before her frustration reached a breaking point.

"Have you shut her down yet?" Weiss asked.

Blake raised her head to look at her, silent for a moment as she analysed the white-haired girl.

"No." She finally replied, guilt evident in her voice. "We're just talking about how much we enjoyed going out the other day."

Weiss shook her head. "This is ridiculous."

It was ridiculous, she thought. She was a Schnee. If she wanted something, she got it. Nothing was beyond her reach. If she wanted something to happen, the most it took was a simple phone call.

A phone call...

Weiss felt her heart skip a beat, before she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, willing self control to fall over her emotions. Once she felt she had herself under control, she picked up her phone.

Dialing a number, she raised the phone to her ear, making direct eye contact with Blake when the girl looked up at the movement.

Immediately her eyes went wide, and she sat up.

"What are you doing?"

Silence, as Weiss heard the ringing in her ear.

"Weiss, who are you calling? It better not be Yang!"

Weiss nodded. "That's exactly who I'm calling. She's a good girl. She deserves to know that you have no intention of pursuing anything with her. What you're doing isn't fair to her."

Instantly, Blake was out of her spot, launching herself across the bed and tackling Weiss with both hands outstretched for her phone.

"Weiss, God damnit, stop!"

Weiss used her free hand to fight off Blake as she rolled onto her back, turning the phone away from Blake's reach.

"Okay, Weiss, fuck, stop!" Her voice was louder this time, the tone frantic.

Weiss glanced at the near hysterical girl as the phone picked up on the other end, Yang's voice answering.

"Hello?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow to Blake, and she nodded, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Lowering the phone from her ear, she tossed it to Blake.

"Get it sorted out." She advised, before rolling off the bed and stalking purposefully out of the room.

* * *

Weiss opened the door to her bedroom about ten minutes later, to find her phone laying on one end of her bed, and Blake sitting on the other end, leaning against the wall with her arms wrapped around her legs.

"Did you let her down nicely?" Weiss asked softly, picking up her phone and seeing that she had three texts and two missed calls from Yang.

Blake raised her head from where she had been resting on her knees, and shook her head slowly.

"We're going out again tonight." She sighed.

Weiss fought to control the smile that wanted to stretch across her face, instead replacing it with a stern expression.

"When you're out, you make sure you behave yourself. She's technically a minor, you know."

"What the hell do you think I'm going to do to her?" Blake asked sarcastically. "Get her drunk and take her home?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, I'm saying behave yourself, because that's likely what she will do to you."

Blake was silent, thinking about what Weiss had said. After a moment, she got up off the bed. Padding over softly to Weiss, she reached out and pulled her friend into a hug.

Wrapping her arms around her dark-haired friend, Weiss finally allowed herself a victorious smile.

"Weiss?" Blake asked softly.

"Yeah, Blake?"

There was a pause, and Weiss took that opportunity to release her hold on her friend.

"Thank you." Blake said, her amber eyes flitting back and forth as she gazed into Weiss' eyes.

"I know you always have my best interests at heart. And I'm glad you pushed, because I was scared enough to turn her down. Which would have been really stupid, because she's unlike anyone I've ever met."

Weiss grinned softly.

"When's the date?" She asked.

Blake sighed nervously. "She's on her way to get me right now."

"Good, I'm glad." Was all Weiss said as she turned away, picking up her phone. Unlocking it, she accessed her messages.

 _'Weiss! She agreed to another date!'_

Weiss smiled softly, before clicking on the second one.

 _'I owe you big time, Weiss. This girl is amazing. I really hope it works out.'_

Weiss dropped her phone on her bed, then gracefully sat upon the edge. She turned her gaze to Blake, who was flitting around the room, nervously fretting. Messing with her hair, sniffing at various perfumes that Weiss had on her end table, and patting at her clothes to make sure they were neat.

Weiss watched her fidget for a few more minutes, before rolling her eyes and getting off the bed. Moving toward her end table, she pulled open a drawer and withdrew a tiny glass bottle. Bringing it over to Blake, who was checking out her reflection in Weiss' mirror, she set it down in front of the nervous girl.

"Try a few drops of this." Weiss said, as Blake hesitantly picked up the perfume bottle and brought it to her nose.

"Yang loves, I mean -loves- cinnamon. A few drops of this on your wrists or on your throat, and she won't leave you alone."

At that comment, a dark blush rose to Blake's cheeks, and she stared unseeingly at the bottle that was offered.

"T-thanks, Weiss." She stammered, accepting the perfume bottle.

"Oh, and Blake?"

Blake glanced up at her, nervousness written clear across her darkened features.

"I know you're fighting with the foreign idea of seeing a woman. I know that. But please, try to think of this as less of a date with someone of the same sex as you, and more-so of a get together with someone who likes you. Gender doesn't matter. I know she can make you happy."

Blake opened her mouth to respond, but the faint sound of a diesel motor reached her ears, cutting her off.

Weiss smiled as the noise reached her ears a moment later, and she reached out and carefully fixed a part of Blake's hair.

"Good luck, Blake. I know nothing is guaranteed, but I have a good feeling about this one."

* * *

Author's Note: This was less about Blake and Yang and moreso about Blake and Weiss' friendship. Plus I love how Weiss gets things done. Thinking about writing their second date at some point. It feels like their story isn't over, even though it was supposed to just be a one shot. As always, reviews are appreciated.


	7. Public

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 7: Public_

* * *

Weiss narrowed her eyes slightly, and nudged Ruby as inconspicuously as she could, the younger girl whirling around to face her with brown hair flying excitedly around her face, eyebrows raised high and eyes comically wide as she made a questioning sound in her throat.

"Easy." Weiss whispered, looking down at her plate and trying not to draw too much attention in her direction.

"Carefully, slowly...check out Blake. Tell me that isn't a sign." Weiss spoke softly, but the hint of triumph was still clear in her voice.

Ruby hummed softly, then turned back to her own plate, pushing a few things around with her fork before casually glancing up and to her left, toward the kitchen.

In the kitchen stood Yang, all of her weight on her right leg as she pushed her hip out, helping herself to a second plate of food from the stove. Beside her, the normally anti-social Faunus, who wanted nothing to do with anyone, was posing so cutely.

Wearing black yoga pants and a black long sleeved shirt, she had her hair unbound and ears free.

"Her hair is down because I casually mentioned to her the other week that Yang digs girls with long unbound hair." Weiss snickered, her voice barely audible to Ruby, who sat only inches away from her, but still at risk of being overheard by the attentive Faunus.

Her sleeves covered all but her fingertips as she leaned on the counter, gazing appreciatively at Yang, who was overflowing her plate now with mashed potatoes, stacking them up as high as they would go next to her second cut of steak.

And she was standing very close to the brawler. Something that didn't go unnoticed by either Weiss or Ruby.

Yang, for her part, didn't seem to notice the close proximity, or the change in appearance and attitude of her partner. Which didn't surprise Weiss in the slightest, she thought.

Weiss herself had immediately picked up on Ruby's change in perfume, and although she hadn't immediately reacted to it when it had happened last week, she had definitely noticed. Ruby, who had never given much thought to things like perfume, had gone out with her sister and picked out what seemed to be a very expensive, and very good smelling perfume. Weiss had picked up on it immediately, the overly-distracting yet ever-pleasant scent of mint immediately catching her attention.

To be fair, there were a couple scents that were part of the mix, but Weiss was acutely sensitive to the scent of mint. The first time Ruby had waltzed by, trailed by mint and roses, Weiss had forgotten she was mid-sentence on why the Schnee Dust Company was a world leader in revolutionary manufacturing techniques that all but eliminated waste material during preparation, packaging, and shipment.

No one had made a point of bothering her about it, something that she suspected was due to the fact that they were happy that she had shut up. Pyrrha had swiftly changed the subject, leaving Weiss to piece together what had just happened.

Weiss shook her head gently to free herself of the embarrassing memory, and glanced down the black and red haired girl, a rare smile of affection slipping past her emotional barrier. Ruby didn't notice, too engaged with observing Blake's flirty behaviour land on unassuming shoulders as Yang failed to see what was so obvious to the other two.

"Sorry Ruby, but your sister is more clueless than a box of rocks." Weiss whispered in her ear, secretly enjoying the close proximity with the younger girl.

Ruby winced, but nodded. "Yeah...it seems she is."

 _Like you're one to talk!_ Weiss growled internally.

Pale blue eyes sliding from the young girl beside her to the two in the kitchen, Weiss' jaw dropped as she watched Blake reach out playfully, sliding a finger down Yang's arm in a display of personal contact that seemed unnatural from the reclusive book reader.

"Whaat the fuck..." Weiss slipped, temporarily losing the facade of ice queen.

Ruby giggled, and reached out, patting Weiss on the leg under the table.

"Shh, don't distract them."

Weiss was hyper aware of Ruby's hand on her leg, as she patted quickly, once, twice, then...

Weiss reached under the table and grabbed Ruby's hand in her own, placing it back on her leg and clamping her hand over top to hold it there.

Heart hammering in her chest so loudly she was sure Blake could hear it, she steadfastly refused to make eye contact with the younger girl, instead staring pointedly at the two in the kitchen. After a moment of curious observation, Ruby looked back toward the kitchen, making no attempt to pull her hand away from Weiss' leg.

Just then, Blake and Yang turned, moving back toward the dining table. Simultaneously Ruby and Weiss snapped their gazes back down to their respective plates, pushing some food around in an attempt to look preoccupied.

"...then maybe after that we can go catch a movie or something." Blake was saying, getting a nod of agreement from Yang as the brawler sat down to enjoy her second plate of food.

"Sounds good to me, Blakey!" Yang said, before digging into her food with an enthusiasm only Yang could muster.

Blake sat down beside the girl, resting her chin on her hand and staring at the girl with half-lidded eyes. Yang, used to being eyed and ogled everywhere she went, didn't seem to notice the staring, nor the strange turn in behavior in her partner.

Under the table, Weiss squeezed Ruby's hand in excitement, nodding ever so slightly toward the two across from her when Ruby shot her a questioning look.

'So adorable.' Was what Weiss silently mouthed to her partner.

Glancing at the two from the corner of her eye, Ruby grinned in agreement.

* * *

I wasn't oblivious to it. I knew exactly what was going on. Although, if Weiss and my little sister wanted to act like I was some air-headed oblivious rogue warrior, then really, it just made it easier for me.

The truth was, I had no idea what to do. It was terrifying, being faced with these emotions, both hers and mine.

I had noticed the change. It was gradual. A look here, a remark there, a completely unnecessary interaction that sometimes ended with unneeded physical contact.

I hadn't taken that many hits to the head, that I didn't know that Blake was into me.

And I had no idea what the fuck to do about it.

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, scrutinizing my appearance somberly. After fussing with my hair for a few minutes, and making sure that everything was perfect, my neutral, expressionless gaze was replaced with a wide grin, full of gleaming white perfect teeth and heaps of attitude.

Moving toward the door, I couldn't suppress a sigh as I pushed it open.

Some days, it was harder to fake than others.

Forcing myself to grin, I strode down the hallway, hips swaying automatically as I drew gazes left and right. It never really bothered me, actually, it was my greatest confidence booster. I loved it when people stared; no one could take this away from me.

The hallway ended abruptly at a set of double doors, and I pushed them both open with the palms of my hands, nodding my head sharply and causing a set of aviators perched just above my eyebrows to fall down onto my nose in a gesture that seemed effortless, but in reality had been practiced dozens of times in the mirror until I could nail it flawlessly every time.

"World class brawler coming through!" I exclaimed, my ever present grin turning my exclamation from one of unbearable arrogance to just a saucy, witty remark.

I strode toward my table where my sister, her maybe-girlfriend Weiss, and the little Faunus girl sat, arms outstretched as I mustered all the swagger I could in my step.

"And here at the winner's table," I said, sliding gracefully into my seat, "Is where I keep my cheerleaders." Gesturing widely to the girls sitting at the table, I received a laugh from Ruby, a sneer and muttered remark from Weiss, and, most surprisingly of all, I thought, absolute silence from Blake.

Then I saw that she was distracted, staring at my arms with her eyes wide, a faint blush staining her cheeks. Her lips were slightly parted, as she tapped thoughtfully at her teeth with a manicured nail. Then as if seemingly making a decision, she reached out, wrapping her hands around my bicep and squeezing gently.

The touch, the look, it all unnerved me. But I would be damned if I ever showed any of these people, most of my my sister, how I truly felt.

Slowly, but firmly pulling away from Blake, I dropped my hands into my lap, regarding her with a heated stare.

"Ma'am, if you're going to attend the gunshow, I ask that you not touch the firearms, they're loaded at all times."

Even Weiss giggled at that, unable to contain herself as Blake froze, hands outstretched in mid-grab as her gaze flicked from my arms to my face.

I couldn't handle it. This girl was adorable, and it was starting to really fuck with my emotions. Turning to Weiss, I did what I do best. I turned up the heat.

"So, Weiss, I hear you're taking my little sister to the movies tonight."

Weiss paused, fork laden with food halfway to her mouth as she comprehended what I had just said. Slowly lowering the fork to her plate, she picked up her napkin from her lap and dabbed at the corners of her lips before setting it on the table beside her plate. Leveling me with a cool stare, she ever-so-slightly cocked one eyebrow.

 _'Damn, this girl is ice-cold. What does Ruby see in her?'_

"Yes, Yang, I am. I hope that's not going to be an issue for you."

The tone she used toward me made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, especially the way she was so nonchalant about my sister, as if neither Ruby nor I would have any say in the matter. Like Ruby was just another item to be bought and worn, an accessory to utilize as she saw fit.

"You're aware she's just turned fifteen, right?" I asked. "And you celebrated your eighteenth a few weeks ago?"

"Quite aware, I was present for both parties."

I ground my teeth together, forcing myself to be polite as worry crossed Ruby's features, glancing back and forth beteen Weiss and I.

"Just...treat her good or you'll be dealing with me." I said, deciding to leave it at that as I felt Blake gently touch my hand with hers as she continued eating.

"Don't worry Yang, I don't have any ill intentions with your sister." Weiss said curtly, her tone somehow managing to convey how utterly ridiculous she thought this conversation was.

I let it slide as something else distracted me. Glancing to my left, I saw Blake scoot just a bit closer, apparently the inches between us too big a gap for her. I was glad that my aviators shielded my eyes from the group at the table, although I was sure that Blake could hear my pounding heart. Faking nonchalance, I threw my left arm over Blake's shoulders loosely, pulling her in for a one armed embrace.

"Well if you're taking Ruby out, maybe I'll take kitty here out for supper or something." I said, shrugging with feigned indifference.

Far from embarrassed, Blake pushed herself into my shoulder, not unlike a cat nudging it's owner for head scratches. I chuckled softly at the mental comparison, but ignored the questioning looks.

Weiss nodded slowly. "Perhaps it would be good for Blake and you to get out of the room for a bit." She agreed.

Ruby nodded excitedly, and I could hear Blake hum in approval from beside me.

Leaving my arm dangling around Blake's shoulders, I picked up my fork with my right hand and continued eating.

* * *

I couldn't help it. I ran my fingers through my hair, frustration forming a ball in the pit of my stomach and slowly growing. I couldn't help it at all. When I was around Yang, self control went out the window, apparently hot on the heels of my free will as well.

We were all back in our room now, and it had been a few days since I had pressed myself up against Yang in the cafeteria. We ended up not going out that night, much to my disappointment, but now, this kind of made up for it.

My amber gaze flicked from the book I currently wasn't reading, to Yang, who was laying on her back a few feet away, arms stretched out above her head with a book in her hands, reading as well.

Weiss was laying on her bed with some paperwork in her lap, and Ruby was curled up at her side, leaning on the snow bunny with a content look on her face.

I bit my lip as I examined them. I wanted that so bad!

Ruby seemed to have no problem expressing herself. Maybe it was because she was such an expressive person? Or was it because what she was expressing was so innocent that Weiss just let her get away with it?

My eyes slid back to Yang and slowly traversed the curves of her body, from her strong, shapely legs, all the way up past her voluptuous chest to her beautiful face.

I could feel the desire growing inside me with every second I spent looking at her, and even worse, the envy that pooled in my chest every time I glanced at Ruby and Weiss.

Deciding I'd had enough, I closed my book. Not caring who noticed, I set the book down gently before pushing myself onto my hands and knees. Slowly traversing the few steps that separated us, I propped myself over Yang's body, slowly sliding up until I was close to her chest. Allowing my head to rest on her chest, I felt her jerk when she realized I was there.

Slowly, I relaxed my body until I was fully laying on her, reveling in her warmth as a deep throaty purr emanated from my throat unbidden.

"Uhhh...Blake?"

I didn't miss the slightly higher pitch that her voice took on, nor the way she tried to clear her throat inconspicuously a second later.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled myself tightly against her, ignoring her.

"Blake, seriously, the hell are you doing?" There was a hint of uneasiness in her voice now, and it wasn't something I wanted to hear. Pushing myself up off her chest, I was well aware that Ruby and Weiss were watching me closely now.

Straddling Yang's waist, I stared down into her wide, lilac eyes as my hair slipped down over my shoulder, mixing with her brilliant golden strands.

"Yang..." I whispered, watching her pupils dilate as I said her name. I leaned in closer now, until our lips were only inches apart. I could feel her quick, shorts breaths.

"Shhhhhhhhh...ut the fuck up." I whispered softly before gently placing my lips on hers.

The kiss was a bit clumsy; which was understandable given how surprised Yang must have been. But the clumsiness didn't last long. Suddenly, Yang's lips were pressing against mine so softly and sweetly that I thought her lips must have been made to fit mine. I barely heard the soft 'thump' of her tossing her book aside in favor of wrapping her arms around my waist and squeezing me tightly. My heart pounded fiercely in my chest as her fingers dug softly into my skin, and I nearly melted against her as she gripped me tightly.

That grip though, like the awkwardness of her kiss, didn't last long as she removed her right hand from my back.

"Weiss, Ruby, out, now." She commanded, halting our kiss as I looked over to see her pointing at the girls, then flicking her wrist toward the door.

"Excuse me?" Weiss began, "I think we-"

She was cut off as Ember Celica popped out of hiding, spinning around Yang's forearm slowly before sliding down onto her wrist, a metallic whizzing sound filling the room as Yang chambered a round, forming her hand into a fist as she pointed it at the complaining girl.

"Ruby, remove Weiss."

I leaned down and pressed my face to Yang's neck, grinning at the fiery girl's passion before softly kissing her neck.

Amidst the sound of a grumbling Weiss and chuckling Ruby vacating the room, I could hear Yang softly groaning as I kissed and licked at the flawless skin on her throat, going ever lower until I could drag my fangs across her collarbone. A second later, and her hands were entangled in my hair, inches from my sensitive ears. Feeling desire build within me, I slid my hands down her waist to her hips, my fingertips slipping inside the waistband of her pants.

With her infinitely superior strength, she easily rolled to her side, flipping us so that I was on my back now, hair sprawled out around me messily. She leaned over me, staring down at me with red-tinted eyes and a blush on her cheeks.

"I'll be honest, Blake, I don't know how I feel about you. But, I have a feeling that after tonight, I'll know."

I never managed to reply before her hands were in my hair again, roughly pulling my head to the side so her lips could find my throat.

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed. Please drop me a review letting me know what you think. It's greatly appreciated. Thanks to those who have reviewed previous chapters and pointed out my errors. I haven't gotten around to fixing them yet, but I like knowing where they are.


	8. Tuna Breath

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 8: Tuna Breath_

 _Author's Note: Slightly-extremely?- OOC Blake. You've been warned._

* * *

Blake never considered herself a creature of entitlement. She worked her ass off for everything she had, and days off were far and few in between. However, when she did get a rest day, with nothing on her agenda, she took it very seriously.

Today was one of those days.

There was nothing to do today, no class, no schoolwork, no obligations with friends or her team RWBY, nothing. And she was loving every second of it. Her scroll was off. So was everything in the apartment that could tell her what time it was. She didn't want to know, otherwise she would waste the day worrying about how little time she had left to do all the things she wanted to do.

Sensing that her mind was wandering, Blake put her book down and stretched, yawning. Her stomach chose that moment to grumble, and she decided that getting food would be a perfect excuse to stretch her muscles a bit.

Kicking her feet over the edge of her bed, she dropped silently to the floor, padding to the kitchen. She already knew what she was going for, a favourite treat of hers that she could rarely enjoy with the rest of her team around. Weiss would complain about the smell, Ruby would giggle uncontrollably at Weiss, and Yang would crack terrible cat puns that made her want to strangle a baby seal.

Reaching into the back of the cupboard over the sink, she withdrew a can of tuna. Licking her lips at the mere thought of such a treat, she sauntered over to the electric can opener tucked in the corner by the toaster near the stove. Popping the can into the unit, she held down the button and watched in fascination as the can spun around slowly, lid being shorn away.

It took naught but a few seconds to separate the lid from the can, and when the machine stopped, she could barely contain her excitement as she gingerly pried the can off the magnet retainer, careful not to spill any of the liquid inside the can.

Gently she popped the lid off and tossed it into the garbage, eyes widening as she spied tuna floating in a brine of salty water. Mouth watering now, she pulled open a drawer and withdrew a fork, slapping the drawer closed with her hip before carefully heading back over to her bed.

Gently getting situated on her bed with her legs crossed, she pulled her book back into her lap and began reading, starting back at the top of the page where she had found herself zoning out earlier.

Carefully jabbing at the pink flesh in her can, her mouth began watering as she raised it to her mouth. Inhaling deeply, her ears, for once unbound, twitched in appreciation before she slowly placed it in her mouth. Running her tongue over the chunk of fish in her mouth, she savored the texture and the salty brine soaking her taste buds before slowly chewing. Her sharp teeth shredded the flesh easily in a way that pleased her more than it probably should have, considering how soft it was.

Ears flattening against her skull in pleasure, she turned her gaze back to her book, licking the salty liquid off her lips slowly.

* * *

Yang ran her fingers through her damp hair once more, inhaling deeply before exhaling slowly, trying to calm her heartbeat. She had just finished an intense training round with Nora, something that she never came away from unscathed. She was pretty sure that Nora was missing a few critical pieces of hardware in that brain of hers. She wasn't sure if it was because Nora was genuinely fearless, or if she had been actually driven crazy by the lack of attention from Ren. Now if there was someone who deliberately ignored the signs, it was that boy.

Part of what made Nora so difficult to fight, Yang thought, walking toward her room, was that Nora was unpredictable. When Yang performed certain moves or acted a certain way, there were obvious responses that normal, self-preserving humans would do in the name of living.

Nora seemed to be missing that self-preservation part. More than once Yang had been caught up by Nora acting in a way that didn't make any sense, causing her to stumle over her attacks and open herself up to retaliation.

Which, Yang supposed, was a strategy all in and of itself. Yang was hesitant to throw around the word 'suicidal' so casually, but when she watched Nora fight, sometimes she wondered.

Stopping in front of her door, she jiggled the handle, finding it unlocked. Twisting it, she pushed open the door, finding all the lights off and electronics unplugged.

Yang grinned softly to herself. She knew what this meant. Somewhere in here was her kitty, probably all curled up and lost in a fantasy novel. For the rest of the night she would have to listen to her girlfriend babble on about whatever fantasy world she was wrapped up in this time, and how romantic it would be to be a warrior in that time period.

Kicking off her shoes, she called out Blake's name softly, knowing the girl could hear her and had heard her come in.

"In here babe." Was the similarly quiet response, and Yang walked through the kitchen into the bedroom, spotting Blake leaning up against the wall and reading a book on her bed.

Instantly her heart swelled with pride, widening the grin on her face to stupid proportions, hurting her cheeks. Yet she couldn't stop. Halting at the edge of the bed, Yang just stared, taking in every detail about the girl who had stolen her heart.

Blake's ears twitched as she finally noticed someone was staring at her, and she raised her head from her book to see Yang grinning at her. Raising an eyebrow in return, she tilted her head to the side questioningly.

"Can I help you, Yang?" She asked softly.

Yang shook her head slowly. "You're so damn pretty." She whispered. "I'm so glad you're mine."

Blake's face split into a wide grin, and she dropped her book, ears flicking toward her girlfriend as excitement painted her features. Leaning forward, she pushed herself onto her knees before moving toward the edge of the bed and wrapping her arms around Yang's neck.

"Aww Yaaaang, I'm glad you're mine too!" She purred, before pulling away from the hug and leaning in for a kiss.

Yang was about to kiss her, before she turned her face to the side, Blake's lips finding her cheek instead.

"Ugh, Blaaaake!" Yang whined, pushing the girl away by her shoulders and holding her away at arm's length. Blake's ears flattened out to the sides of her head at Yang's tone, eyes widening at Yang's denial of her kiss.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"You've got some mad tuna breath." Yang said, wrinkling her nose up and narrowing her eyes at the dark haired girl. Instantly a dark blush covered her cheeks, and her left ear twitched, flicking up toward the door for an instant before flattening again.

"It's not that bad, is it?" Blake asked, leaning back slightly, now self conscious.

Yang shrugged one shoulder, waving her hand nonchalantly.

"Its..cat-astrophic." Yang grinned at her own terrible pun. "Well, if you want kisses, you gotta brush your teeth."

Blake's ears perked up at the mention of kisses, and she slid off the bed onto the floor beside Yang.

"Hey, Yang?" Blake asked, looking up at her girlfriend. Yang turned toward her, looking down slightly at her. "Yes, kitten?"

Before Yang could stop her, Blake leaned in and licked Yang's cheek, leaving as wet a trail as she could across her face before pulling away and moving swiftly toward the bathroom, giggling.

"Aww Blake, you're gross!" Yang hollered, wiping at her cheek. Pulling her wet hand away from her cheek, she stared at it in horror before wiping it on her shorts and wiping at her face again.

"Ugh, disgusting." Yang muttered, earning another laugh from the feline Faunus in the bathroom.

"Just for that, no kisses!" Yang yelled, wiping at her face with both hands now. Ugh, the tuna smell was everywhere.

Blake's head popped out the doorway with a toothbrush in her mouth, eyes wide and ears tilted forward toward Yang.

"Hnnn, no fair." She mumbled, speaking around the toothbrush in her mouth with some difficulty.

Yang glared at her, giving her the finger before moving toward the kitchen to find something to wash her face with.

Pulling open a drawer for tea towels, she grabbed one and moved over to the sink, grinning to herself at her girlfriend's antics before holding the cloth under the tap and turning it on.

It was nice to see Blake coming out of her shell more and more, she thought, shutting off the tap and wringing some of the water out of the cloth before bringing it to her face. Gently scrubbing at her cheek, she turned back to the bathroom. The door was open, and she could see Blake leaning in toward the mirror, scrubbing dutifully at her white teeth with her purple toothbrush.

Scrubbing a few more times at her cheek, then deeming herself satisfied, Yang tossed the cloth onto the counter before stalking toward the bathroom. Glancing at her in the mirror, Blake watched her in the reflection as she stalked closer, ears flipping around to point at the approaching girl like two mini satellite dishes.

Yang grinned at the girl, loving how expressive her ears had become after she had accepted herself and stopped hiding them.

"Hurry up." Yang gently poked Blake in the side, causing the girl to squirm away and start giggling. Unable to contain herself, she had no choice but to spit out her frothy toothpaste, nearly missing the sink as it spattered down her shirt. Glaring at Yang in the mirror, her ears flattened out to the sides of her head as she grabbed a wash cloth and wiped at her chin. Gently dabbing at the mess on her shirt, she raised her head and bared her teeth at Yang.

"You're a bitch." She said teasingly. Yang merely reached out and pulled the girl closer.

"What're you gonna do about it?" Yang asked, pulling her close until their noses touched.

Blake responded by tilting her head up and licking the tip of Yang's nose, causing the brawler to giggle.

"Doesn't smell bad this time."

"Mmm...good." Was all Blake said before she wrapped her arms around Yang's neck and kissed her softly on the lips.

* * *

Author's Note: I kinda like writing this Blake. She's fun! You can expect to see more playful, cat-like Blake in the future. As always, reviews are appreciated. Thanks for following along this far. Hope you're enjoying so far.


	9. Stray Part One

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 9: Stray, 1 of 2_

Blake watched lazily from her spot at the base of a large, shade-bearing tree as her team mates stood out in the hot sun. The three of them formed a large triangle, Ruby even convincing Weiss to join in on their game, as they tossed a frisbee back and forth between themselves. The wind rustled their hair and billowed out their loose-fitting clothing, a gentle breeze that made the summer's afternoon heat more enjoyable. Yang, for her part, had ditched her usual attire and opted for clothing that closely resembled her sleepwear, short shorts and a loose-fitting sleeveless shirt. To say that she was drawing stares would be an understatement.

Weiss, true to her form, hadn't budged from her strict, over the top clothing choice, although given the Ice Queen's moniker, it was unlikely that she even felt the heat. Ruby had for once foregone her hood and cape in the heat, choosing instead to wear a faded purple t-shirt with the sleeves poorly torn off and a pair of black leggings with silver designs on them.

Blake's eyes followed the slow, lazy trajectory that the frisbee cut out between each of her team members, neither of them putting much strength into their tosses. It was almost lethargic, how the disc seemed to hover for an eternity on the air, before zipping into their outstretched hands as if drawn by some invisible force.

This was how it often went, she hummed softly. Those three played as if there weren't a care in the world, while she sat and watched, attempting to take her mind off the stress that invaded her life without reprieve.

She wasn't like them. She couldn't just... _play._ She hadn't played as a child, and she sure wasn't going to now.

Watching them play as she attempted to read a book was as much relaxation as she allowed herself, unwilling to frolic foolishly through the grass.

Feeling her back getting stiff, she pushed away from the base of the tree, and let herself sprawl out on her stomach, folding her arms underneath her chin as her eyes followed the motions of her team, her ears twitching under their ribbon at their faint shouts and exclamations.

Feeling her eyes droop, she fought a yawn and lost, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she stretched. It didn't take long, what with the breeze coursing across her body and the smell of dirt in her nose, for her to fall asleep.

* * *

The sun had already set when she awoke, disoriented and confused. There were faint traces of light in the western sky, signs that the sun had departed not too long ago. Her eyes immediately adjusted to the low lighting levels, and she saw that the park was abandoned. There wasn't a single person in view, and she shivered at the implications of what could have happened if the creatures of Grimm were allowed to roam Beacon property.

Inhaling softly, her senses were overloaded with the scent of grass, dirt, fresh clean air, and...cinnamon?

Sitting up, she rubbed her face, before looking around again, this time casting a glance behind her, to where the tree was that she had been leaning up against earlier.

Sitting behind her with an ever-present grin on her face, was her partner, Yang.

"How'd you sleep, kitty cat?"

Blake didn't answer right away, instead choosing to slowly cross her legs before raising her gaze to meet her partner's.

"Were you here the whole time?" She asked her own question instead, noting at how still the usually hyper active girl was.

Yang nodded slowly, her gaze never leaving her partner's face.

"Yeah, when our game ended, Ruby and Weiss wanted ice cream. I told them to run ahead, that you and I would catch up with them. When I came over to you though, I couldn't bear the thought of awakening you. So I watched."

Yang's choice of words brought a deep stain of embarrassment to Blake's cheeks, and she was glad that it was getting steadily darker with every passing moment.

"Why don't you play with us?" Yang asked. "It's fun, you know."

Blake shrugged, looking away.

"I don't know." She replied. "I've never played much before."

Yang stared at her, never taking her eyes off Blake.

"Never played before?" Yang repeated, questioningly.

Blake turned to meet her gaze.

"I never had much of a childhood, Yang." She said. "I...don't know how to play."

Yang blinked, absorbing what she had heard.

"Don't...know?" Yang muttered softly, disbelieving. "No, that's stupid. Play isn't something you learn, it's something you do."

Blake shrugged. "I just...don't play, okay?"

Yang pushed herself away from the tree she was leaning on, moving closer to her partner.

"Why don't you play with me?" Yang breathed quietly, never breaking eye contact as she moved closer to Blake on her hands and knees.

Blake leaned away from the approaching girl, falling back on her elbows as Yang moved to straddle her waist.

"Y-Yang, I..."

Yang licked her lips at the sound of Blake uttering her name, and she paused, hovering over Blake's body and grinning down at her.

"C'mon Blake, what's the problem?" Yang teased, staring down at the embarrassed Faunus.

Yang leaned in closer, barely discerning the features on Blake's face through the approaching darkness.

"I...I..." Blake's voice cracked, and suddenly she leaned back, pushing Yang's shoulders violently as she brought her knees up to her chest. Planting her feet on Yang's chest, she kicked off, sending the surprised girl tumbling to the ground on her back. Blake flipped over backward, pushing off the ground with her hands and swiftly returning to her feet. Spinning on her heel, she dashed away from Yang, who was picking herself up off the ground.

Ember Celica was the only way Yang could accelerate quickly enough to keep up with Blake, and she had no qualms about firing off her weapon on school grounds in the evening. Four rapid fire shots aimed behind her, and she pulled level with her fleeing partner.

"Blake, just relax for once!" Yang growled, as she reached out to grab her friend.

Yang shouldn't have been surprised when the shadow clone disintegrated into darkness.

Skidding to a halt, Yang looked around. Blake usually wasn't very far from her apparitions, but in this lighting, the ninja might as well have not existed. If she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.

Sighing dejectedly, Yang turned and began walking back toward the dorm.

* * *

Blake had been gone for two days. During that time, Yang alternated between hounding her sister and Weiss to help search for her, and moping around in her dorm, glaring at anyone who strayed too close to her.

It was a miserable time for all involved, especially for Yang. Her voracious appetite had been reduced to nothing, and her usual quick, light-hearted jokes had been reduced to scathing, fiery retorts that cut deeper than she intended.

Used to Blake running away, it's what she did after all, Ruby and Weiss weren't that concerned. They were sure that Blake would turn up when she wanted to, and not a moment sooner. With that in mind, Weiss convinced Ruby to approach the sullen Yang, and ask her to please come to the cafeteria to eat something.

She had declined at first, but her rumbling stomach, and Ruby's pleading face finally got the best of her. Pushing off her bed, she huffed out a, "Fiiiiiine.", before stalking out the door, not bothering to wait for Ruby and Weiss as her hips swayed dangerously back and forth.

Ruby and Weiss shared a look, before bolting out the door after her, intent on making sure no one got in her way and got themselves critically injured.

It didn't take long to reach the cafeteria, what with Yang's long strides. Muttering darkly to herself the entire way, she ignored the two shorter girls walking quickly to keep up with her.

"Seriously," Weiss whispered, "What happened between them that caused Yang to be such a bitch?"

Ruby shrugged, as they followed Yang through the double doors to the cafeteria.

"I'm not sure..." She muttered, glancing around. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she pointed toward a table. "But I have a feeling we're about to find out."

Weiss followed her gesture, and her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest. There, sitting alone at a table, was their Faunus friend.

It didn't take Yang much longer to spot the girl either, and immediately she began striding over.

Weiss grabbed Ruby's arm and tugged her closer. "We aren't gonna wanna miss this."

Ruby was about to respond, but she was interrupted by a shout from Yang.

"YOU!"

Blake's head shot up at the sound of Yang's voice, and she leapt out of her seat just in time for Yang's fists to come crashing down, shattering the table into thousands of pieces, scattering toothpicks across the floor.

"Yang, what the hell!?" Blake landed swiftly on her feet, backpedalling as Yang advanced toward her, hands balled into fists, and, alarmingly, Ember Celica sliding down her wrists and rotating into place with an audible clicking sound.

Yang didn't grace her with a response, stepping over the wreckage of the table and reaching out with both hands. Blake stumbled backward until she was stopped by a wall, raising her hands in front of her in an attempt to placate Yang.

Seeing as she was about to bolt again, Yang swiftly closed the last few feet between them, latching onto Blake's shoulders and holding her in place with what was arguably the team's highest level of raw strength.

Blake winced under the crushing weight of Yang's superior strength and the edge of Ember Celica digging into her collarbones, but Yang never let up. Lilac eyes flashed to red, and she bared her teeth at the Faunus.

"You're not fucking running away this time." Yang snarled. With her left arm, she temporarily released her grip on Blake's shoulder, before rearing back, readying a punch. Blake tried to shy away, but Yang's death grip on her shoulder meant she was powerless to move.

Pouring everything she had into the strike, her fist impacted the wall beside Blake's head, blowing out the stone facade in a haze of dust and flying debris. Before the dust had even settled, Yang could hear Glynda approaching, no doubt to repair and restore order, but Yang wanted no part of it. Narrowing her eyes, she re-positioned her grip on Blake until she was holding her by the back of her neck, rendering her immobile. Dragging her through the hole in the wall, she didn't spare the girl in her grip a single glance as she dragged her toward somewhere a little more quiet.

After a minute, with Blake feebly struggling in her powerful grip, Yang came to a stop. Breathing heavily from the anger coursing through her, she carelessly threw the girl down on the ground in front of her. Blake winced as she landed roughly on her back, and she opened her eyes to stare up at her team mate. Yang stood over her, glaring at her and daring her to run.

Neither said anything for a moment, Yang trying to collect her thoughts, and Blake not knowing what to say.

The silence between them only grew louder as Yang's breathing slowly quieted. After a moment, Yang spoke.

"Do you know how worried I was about you?" She asked, voice unnaturally soft.

Blake reached up and rubbed her shoulder. "Yeah, nice way of showing it." She responded sarcastically.

"Shut up." Yang growled, hands clenching into fists again.

"Why do you think that's okay? Why do you think that's acceptable behavior? To just run away and leave your team mates...your partner...worried about you?"

Blake blinked, looking up at the girl before her and seeing her as if for the first time. The same clothes she had been wearing when they had parted two days ago. Eyes missing their usual spark of life; she looked tired. Really tired. Like she had been crying.

Blake's breath caught in her throat as she realized just how rough Yang had been the last few days.

"Uhh." Blake didn't know what to say, at a loss for words.

"Well?" Yang asked again, stepping closer and raising her fist.

Blake felt her cheeks heat up, and she stood, ignoring the pain in her shoulder.

"You don't understand." Blake replied quietly.

Yang raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to her partner.

"I don't understand?" She asked. "I was worried sick about you for the last two days, and apparently you've been wandering around without a care for either your partner, or your team!"

Blake felt her anger getting the better of her, and she lashed out at her partner. Maybe Yang was quicker, or maybe she anticipated it, but for whatever reason, she was ready. She grabbed Blake's wrists, and pulled the girl closer, rendering her immobile and unable to flee.

"I..don't...!" Blake tried to twist free, but Yang wasn't releasing her iron grip on her partner.

"You'll never be strong enough to break free from my grasp. All you can do is fucking run, you coward." Yang hissed, narrowing her eyes at the girl in front of her.

Blake ground her teeth together, feeling the anger pooling in her stomach like a poison.

"You know why I run all the time!?" She shouted, causing Yang's eyes to widen ever so slightly.

"It's because no one wants me. No one wanted me as a friend when I was young, and no one wanted to play with me. I don't play your stupid games, Yang. No one ever showed me how to have fun."

Yang's grip weakened almost imperceptibly, but neither of them noticed. Yang's eyes were drawn to the tears forming in Blake's eyes, and she had to remind herself to listen to the girl.

"I was never wanted as a person." Blake continued, glaring at Yang. "I was used as a weapon until I was no longer useful. No one wanted anything I had to offer other than my ability to use a weapon. I mean nothing to everyone who sees me. I run away because I'm just an unlucky black cat that no one wants crossing their path. I'm just an unwanted stray."

Author's Note: Part one of two. All the warm and fuzzy bits will be in the next chapter. Reviews are appreciated!


	10. Stray Part Two

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 10: Stray, Part 2 of 2_

"You're an idiot." Yang sneered, her temper threatening to get the best of her once more.

"Hnng..." Blake struggled in Yang's iron grasp, failing to pull herself away. Yang only gripped her harder, ignoring the wince of pain from the girl.

"I thought you Faunus were supposed to have good eyesight." Yang growled, effortlessly lifting Blake into the air, Blake's feet dangling inches from the ground.

"What?"

"Good eyesight. I thought you Faunus were supposed to have it. Or night vision. Something to do with eyes." Yang replied.

"What's your point, Yang?"

"You're blind! You can't see that the people right in front of you care more about you than anyone else."

"That's just team-" Blake was cut off as Yang violently shook her, lilac eyes fading back to red.

"It's not just as a team." Yang growled, baring her teeth at Blake. "You're either ignorant or stupid. All this melodramatic nonsense about no one caring about you, no one teaching you to play, but all you can do when faced with friends who care about you is run away."

"Put me down." Blake ordered, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

Yang laughed, running her tongue over the sharp edges of her canines for a moment before tilting her head to study Blake.

"So you can disappear again? Not happening."

Blake ground her teeth together, feeling her shoulders strain under the weight of her suspension.

"I saiiiid...put me down!"

Yang grinned. "I can hold you here all day, darling. It won't bother me a bit."

"Why are you doing this?" Blake asked, frustration clouding her mind.

"Because."

"Why?"

Yang smiled softly.

"Ruby and I used to rescue cats all the time."

Blake immediately stopped struggling, instead focusing on what Yang was saying.

"At first, you give the stray it's space. Let it know it's got friends, but give it space. It'll take a while, but it's worth it. When the cat finally comes around for the first time, realizing you're not a threat, that you're trustworthy and there to help, it's an amazing feeling."

Blake said nothing, too afraid of the sound of her own voice to speak.

"I've given you your space, Blake. But you're not coming around, and it's pissing me off."

Again, Yang was treated to silence, so she decided to continue.

"I can't fix what happened in your past, Blake, and I'll never be able to. But from the present, moving forward into the future, I can do my best to make sure that you're never alone. That you don't have to spend another night lonely, with no one to care for you. I don't know if there's some small, sadistic part of you that enjoys that heart-wrenching loneliness, but open your damn eyes, and see that you have people who care about you and who don't want to see you hurting anymore."

Blake stared into Yang's eyes even as her vision blurred, tears now overwhelming her and spilling uncontrollably down her cheeks. Yang doggedly ignored them, continuing.

"Blake...I don't want to see you hurting anymore. I don't want you to run away. Not from anyone."

She paused here, taking a deep breath.

"Especially not from me." Yang stared into Blake's eyes, refusing to break eye contact.

"Blake, please don't run away from me anymore. I'm here for you."

A wretched sob burst forth from Blake, unable to contain herself any longer, and Yang gently set her down, releasing her grip on her wrists as her tears flowed freely now. Immediately falling to her knees, Blake finally let go of all the emotions she had been holding for so long as Yang stood in front of her, listening to the overwhelming cries of a heart-broken girl.

* * *

It was much, much later that night when Yang slowly turned the handle to their dorm room, silently pushing it open with her foot. In her arms, she cradled her now-sleeping kitten. Pulling the raven haired girl protectively to her chest, Yang kicked off her boots before padding softly over to Blake's bed. Ever so carefully, she laid the sleeping girl down on the bed. As she tried to stand, she realized that Blake's fists were balled in her shirt, unrelentingly holding tight to her even unconscious as she was.

Smiling softly, she gently pried Blake's fists from her shirt, before laying her arms down at her sides. Grabbing the edge of Blake's blanket, she pulled it over the sleeping girl, up to her shoulders before tucking the edges in and making sure that the girl appeared comfortable.

Sighing heavily, Yang dropped to her knees beside the bed. She was exhausted now; so much fury had been put into dealing with her fleeing partner that now she was absolutely drained.

Reaching out, she gently pushed Blake's bangs out of her face, gently tracing the tear stains on her cheeks with her thumb.

"I'd give anything in this world to be able to shoulder your burdens, Blake." Yang whispered.

"But I can't carry them for you. All I can do is walk beside you and catch you when you fall."

The girl groaned softly in her sleep, and Yang fell silent, afraid of waking her. It was too little, too late, however, as Blake's eyes fluttered open.

Blinking a few times, Blake's sleepy gaze quickly found Yang.

"Did..you...?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah, don't worry. I'll take care of you."

Blake looked away for a moment, befure looking back and Yang and sighing.

"Yang, will you..."

Yang raised an eyebrow, leaning in close so as to not miss a word.

"Y-Yang, will you...sleep with me tonight?" She asked.

Yang's eyes widened, before she realized that Blake probably didn't mean it that way.

Probably.

Blake felt the hesitation, and looked up at Yang.

"Y-you did say th-that you would never leave me." Blake stammered, trying to find her tongue.

"That you'd always be beside me."

Yang didn't think twice as she peeled back the covers and slipped into the bed beside her Faunus partner. Pulling the covers over their heads, Yang let herself lay closer to Blake than she was sure the girl was comfortable with.

Until Blake slid closer, pressing her body against Yang's.

Yang felt her heart racing, skin tingling, as Blake pressed her body up against hers. Blake had turned so that she was on her side, facing Yang. Pressing her forehead against Yang's chest, the rest of her body was pressed as tightly as she could manage against the brawler, and Yang nearly froze when she felt an arm encircling her waist.

Yang struggled to control herself, lest she do something the young girl wasn't comfortable with and set back all the progress she had made in getting the sweet kitten to trust her.

Trying vainly to control her breathing, she closed her eyes as she became hyper aware of every touch, every small movement Blake made, rubbing against her body.

Yang groaned quietly as she felt her desire begin to edge out of her control. No, not that she couldn't control herself, she knew. She didn't want to.

Blake shifted again, looking up at Yang to see what the source of her groan was.

Due to their close proximity, that resulted in the Faunus giving Yang a rather cross-eyed look, and Yang couldn't help herself any longer.

Reaching forward, Yang slipped her hand behind Blake's neck before leaning down and kissing her softly on the lips. Gently at first, Yang pressed their lips together. Waiting, searching for any sign of acceptance or rejection.

The kiss was sweet; Blake smelled like lavender shampoo and the faintest scent of a rather fruity perfume. Her lips were soft, receptive of Yang's kiss, and quite compliant to the brawler's wishes.

Then Blake pulled away, putting her hand on Yang's chest to help separate them.

Yang pulled away, biting her lip in disappointment as she gazed at her partner with concern.

"Blake, I'm..." Yang began, unsure of what to say. She wasn't sorry she kissed her, so she wouldn't apologize for it, but...

Blake licked her lips slowly, never breaking eye contact with Yang as she did.

"Yang." Her name was a whispered statement.

"Yes?"

"What is it you want from me?" Blake asked.

Yang stared at her as she thought about it, and a thousand answers flew through her mind. Right now, she wanted more of the taste of Blake's lips on her own, and probably more than that. She wanted the girl to hold her tight and never let go. She wanted...

She shook her head. Those weren't the right answers. That wasn't the right question.

"Blake, I don't think you're asking the right question." Yang replied. "I don't think it's about what I want from you. Everyone has taken whatever they wanted from you without a second thought. I'm not going to do that. It's not about what I want from you. It's about what I want to give to you."

Blake's eyes widened slightly, but otherwise gave no indication that what Yang had said had affected her.

"And...what do you want to give me?" Blake asked, the foreign concept leaving a weird feeling in her chest.

Yang smiled, reaching out and cupping the cheek of her partner, stroking her cheek with her thumb.

"Blake, I want to give you everything that I am. My strength can be your strength when you're feeling weak. When you feel like you need to run and hide, I want you to run to me, and hide in my embrace."

Yang could feel her cheeks heating up as she spoke, but when she realized that what she was saying was true, she pushed on, unwilling to back down.

"When you feel like you're overwhelmed, I want to be there to shoulder your troubles. When you want to stand up and fight for what you believe in, I want to be by your side, to make sure that you're not fighting alone. When the darkess comes and you feel lost and like you can't possibly win, I want to be the shining beacon of hope that draws your gaze and renews your fighting spirit."

Blake said nothing for a moment, thinking about Yang's words. Turning them over in her head, inspecting them for evidence of lies or deceit.

Gazing into Yang's bright, lilac gaze, she knew that Yang was being honest.

And that was kind of scary.

"Blake, I can't fix the past. I can't be there for you all those times you were alone and had no one to depend on. And I know that a lifetime of that breeds a very particular type of person. But if you're tired of continuing your life like that, I'm here. I want to be the one you depend on. Blake, I want...you. I want you."

Blake felt her breath catch in her throat when Yang said that, and once again, tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. Fighting against the urge to cry her eyes out, she simply pressed herself tighter to her partner, and buried her face in Yang's neck, inhaling the cinnamon scent that lingered on her hair.

"You don't have to live like a stray anymore, Blake. I want you. If you'll have me, I want you."

Amidst the shuddering breaths and sniffles, Yang felt Blake nod slowly against her neck.

Yang couldn't stop the grin that stretched across her face, and she wrapped her arms around her partner.

"You have me now, Blake. You'll never have to take on anything by yourself ever again. I'll be here for you, I promise."

Yang felt her nod again against her neck.

"Yang?" Blake whispered softly.

"Yeah, Blake?"

"...You bruised my wrists."

Yang grinned. "We'll just tell them it was from s-"

"No. No we wont."

* * *

Author's Note: While this is technically the end of the "Stray" mini-fic, I may or may not post additional bits in the future. Blake and Yang are just too good together. Enjoy! As always, reviews are appreciated.


	11. Something Different Part Three

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 11: Something Different, Part 3 of ?_

* * *

It had been weeks since Blake had seen Yang last. Yang's job had taken her hours away, and work had kept her busy. Too busy to slip away and make the hours long drive back to Blake.

Not that Blake blamed her. It was about a four and a half hour drive - nine hours round trip - and that was a long time for anyone to drive. Yang claimed she could cut four and a half hours into a mere three, and Blake believed her. Although it wouldn't do to be seen in a safety consulting vehicle breaking the speed limit down the highway.

Blake smiled softly at the thought. It was a bit difficult to admit to herself, but dammit... she missed the blonde-haired girl.

"At least she's back tonight for good." Weiss said from behind her.

Blake blinked twice, shaking her head to clear her mind.

"Uh...yeah. What?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Your face is more expressive than you think, Blake. It's obvious when you're thinking of her."

Blake twisted away from the mirror she was standing in front of, where she had been messing with her hair.

"Oh really? Do tell." She replied. Her golden gaze settled on her friend.

"Well, for starters, when you're thinking of Yang, your eyes get all glazed like you're losing your mind. Your face gets dark with all the naughty thoughts running through your mind, and your lips part ever so slightly as drool leaks fro-"

Weiss was cut off, giggling, as Blake grabbed a hair brush from the dresser under the mirror and threw it at her.

Making a wild grab for it, Weiss missed the handle but managed to swat it away. It clattered to the floor, skidding across the floor and coming to a stop under the bed.

"Now, see what you've done." Weiss replied, a disapproving tone to her voice.

Blake eyed the edge of the bed, then shrugged.

"I'll get it." She replied. "Eventually."

Weiss sighed theatrically, before walking over to the edge of the bed and dropping to her knees. Reaching under, she patted around before her hand found the brush. Fingers closing around the handle, she pulled the item out. Standing up and wiping the non-existent dust off her knees, she sauntered over to the dresser and gently laid the brush down.

"Next one, you get." She said sternly, wagging a finger at Blake.

Blake smiled, but said nothing. Turning back to the mirror, she pulled her long hair over her shoulder, tilting her head to the side as she slowly ran her fingers through it.

"Maybe you should put it in a ponytail tonight." Weiss suggested, eyeing Blake as she moved over to her bed. Throwing herself upon it with slightly less grace than she normally carried herself with, she moved around until she got comfortable.

"Really? Isn't that kinda lazy? Like, a cop out?"

Weiss shrugged, rolling onto her stomach and placing her chin in her hands.

"Dunno, it might be nice to give her something to pull on."

"WEISS!"

Weiss burst into laughter at Blake's shrill reaction, kicking her legs back and forth in the air.

"Relax, I'm only kidding."

"How can you joke about that?"

"What's the big deal?" Weiss asked.

"It's... It's..."

"It's what, Blake?"

"I... I don't know." Blake sighed.

"Don't think about it too much. You overthink everything. Stop it."

"But what if-"

"I said stop!" Weiss commanded sharply.

The raven-haired beauty silenced her concerns, resuming the act of running her fingers through her hair.

"What if she... kisses me tonight?" Blake asked quietly, face taking on a dark tint at the mere mention of it.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Then you have to do the right thing. The mature thing. You have to tangle your hands in her hair and kiss her right back."

"Ugh!" Blake growled. "Weiss, c'mon, I'm being serious!"

Weiss hummed disapprovingly.

"And you think I'm not?"

Blake didn't have an answer for that.

"Blake, I know you're conflicted, but take a real good look at yourself while you're standing in front of that mirror. If, deep down, you didn't want this, you wouldn't be going out with her. _As friends._ " She enunciated sarcastically, curling her fingers into air quotes. "Look how long you've spent fussing with your hair. I think you've already made up your mind. You can fight it every step of the way, but you're only delaying the inevitable."

Blake hummed softly. "And what's the inevitable?"

Weiss stared at the back of her friend.

"You finally finding someone who can make you happy."

* * *

Blake could feel herself literally shivering with excitement and anticipation as she stood outside Weiss' house, waiting for Yang. Her body trembled slightly, nerves getting the best of her whenever she pictured Yang's face in her mind.

 _'I think I'm gonna be sick...'_

Nervousness flooded her body and twisted her stomach up. Tapping her toe against the concrete walkway she was standing on, she impatiently waited for the signature sound that announced Yang's arrival.

She didn't have to wait long. After a moment, a deep, thrumming growl reached her ears, growing louder as a now-familiar truck rounded the corner down the street.

Inhaling deeply, she held her breath for a moment before exhaling shakily.

It had been weeks since she had seen Yang...

The truck slowed as it approached, and pulled up to the sidewalk as Blake excitedly walked toward it.

Before she could reach the passenger door, however, the driver's door opened. A second later and the door slammed shut, then an excited blonde rounded the front of the truck. Her opalescent lilac eyes were shining with happiness as she moved toward Blake, arms outstretched.

Without a word, the blonde crashed into the surprised girl, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Blake stumbled backward under the friendly assault of the overly-excited girl, until she caught her balance, back pressed against Yang's truck.

Yang inhaled deeply, sighing contentedly as she further tightened her grip on Blake's waist.

"I've missed you." Yang muttered softly, fingers gripping Blake's shirt tightly. Blake wrapped her arms around Yang's shoulders, returning the embrace even as her face burned with embarrassment. Burying her face in Yang's shoulder, she silently willed her blush to disappear.

"I... I missed you." She replied quietly.

Yang grinned happily, before reluctantly pulling away. Stepping back to give Blake her personal space back, she examined the girl closely.

The quiet, shy girl was wearing a much different attire than their first meeting, Yang noticed. Black leggings with white cat-like paw prints tracking up the sides graced her legs, and her upper body was clad in a dark red short sleeved t-shirt. Her beautiful, silky hair was bound into a high ponytail, and Yang noticed with nearly undisguised pleasure that having her hair pulled away from her neck revealed glimpses of a tattoo.

Oh, how badly she wanted to see where that tattoo lead.

Blinking herself out of her reverie before her scrutinizing gaze was noticed, Yang gestured to her truck.

"So? Where would you like to go today for our...not date?"

Blake couldn't stop the tips of her ears burning at the playful tone in which Yang said 'not date', and had to appreciate the girl putting up the pretext of it not being a date.

Stepping to the side slightly as Yang pulled the door open, she tried not to enjoy the way Yang laughed so cutely at Blake's less-than-graceful attempt to pull herself into the lifted monstrosity.

"There's a technique to it, Blake, you'll get it one day." She winked at Blake as the girl settled into her seat before closing the door and disappearing from view.

Blake had a moment to herself to think about whether or not there was more to that sentence than immediately apparent at first.

 _'I'll get it one day? One day? How long will we be seeing each other like this?'_

A warm feeling spread through her chest as she thought that she wouldn't mind if she struggled to climb into Yang's truck for a long, long time. For the rest of her life.

Her thoughts were broken as the driver's door opened, and Yang once again effortlessly hauled herself into the truck. Reaching toward the center console, she pressed the buttons for the heated seats.

"So," Yang said as she put her truck in gear. "Let's go get ice cream."

"Huh?" Blake, ever so eloquent, inquired.

Yang glanced at her and grinned. "I want ice cream! I've been working way out in the bush for the last little while and the camp food was terrible. Not a lick of ice cream to be found."

Blake squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. Well, as uncomfortably as she could with the heated seats on low, relaxing her muscles as she sunk deeper into the bucket seats.

Ever observant, Yang glanced at her from the corner of her eye.

"Something wrong?"

Blake absent-mindedly wondered if the ever-present blush on her face would ever go away around Yang, or if she was doomed to never be able to look at the girl again.

"Err..."

Yang grinned as she glanced in her side mirrors, checking traffic.

"What, you don't like ice cream?"

"Well... ice cream doesn't like me. I'm lactose intolerant." Blake admitted.

Yang scoffed. "Well! We'll just have to find something else, then!" She declared.

"N-no, I don't want to stop you. We'll go get ice cream. I just... won't eat any."

Yang hummed softly. "What do _you_ want?"

"Me?"

Yang nodded. "Let's go get whatever you want."

Blake was silent for a second.

"If you keep feeding me every time we see each other, I'm gonna get fat." She half-joked.

Yang reached over and poked her ribs, laughing as Blake shied away.

"You could probably stand to eat a bit more." She replied.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Yang shrugged. "Nothing. I like spoiling you."

Blake turned to look out the window, hiding her perpetually red face.

After a minute of silence, Yang spoke up.

"So? What do you want?"

Blake licked her lips slowly.

"I want you to go get your ice cream."

"What about you?" Yang asked, flicking on her turn signal and carefully guiding her truck over into the left lane.

Blake smiled, looking down at the cars they were passing from her relatively high seat.

"I'll be glad that you're getting your ice cream."

Yang reached over and patted Blake's leg, sending an uncontrollable shiver through her body.

"If you're sure."

Blake nodded, and it wasn't long before Yang began decelerating, putting on her turn signal and cutting across oncoming traffic to pull into a strip mall parking lot.

Once again, Blake couldn't help but admire the way Yang seemed to effortlessly guide her leviathan of a truck between parked cars and around obstacles as she navigated her way to a small ice cream shop at the far end of the strip mall.

Pulling into an empty space between a smaller truck and a small white car, Yang slipped the truck into park. Twisting the key and removing it in one smooth motion, the key was in her pocket before the motor shook to a halt.

Turning to Blake, Yang grinned happily.

"I'll make this up to you, I promise."

* * *

Not too long after, Blake was sitting across from Yang at a small, two seater table. There were items other than ice cream available, and Yang had offered her whatever she wanted, but Blake had politely declined. Now, she sat with her chin in her palm, eyes half lidded as she watched Yang happily lick at her ice cream cone. Every once in a while Yang would make an appreciative moan or hum in the back of her throat, and every time it sent little waves of excitement through Blake.

"So, it turns out that the way to your heart is with a big scoop of mint chocolate ice cream." Blake said, smiling.

Yang's lilac gaze slid to Blake's half alert golden orbs, and she smiled, licking her lips.

"Or mint anything, really."

"You like it that much?"

"Love it." She replied, bringing her cone to her mouth and taking another slow lick.

Blake's eyes fell from Yang's face to her tongue. Unconsciously leaning forward ever so slightly, she scrutinized the girl before her.

She couldn't help but admire the way the girl's cheeks were flushed with excitement, eyes shining happily. There were trails of melted ice cream tracking down her fingers and the back of her hand, evidence of her less than tidy eating habits. Blake smiled softly. Habits she had been shocked to discover on their first... not date.

"It's too bad you can't eat ice cream." Yang's soft voice broke through her thoughts. "You look like you really want a taste."

Blake's eyes widened, bright golden orbs shrinking as her pupils dilated, growing larger.

"Uhh..."

Yang giggled, raising her hand to her mouth and tilting her head as she slowly licked up the trails of melted ice cream.

"You know, it's not polite to stare at someone while they eat." Yang teased, taking a bite of her crunchy cone.

It was all Blake could do not to burst into flame on the spot.

"S-sorry..."

Yang laughed, reaching out and swatting gently at Blake's hand.

"I'm just teasing, you know."

Blake almost never heard Yang's words, cheeks burning as her eyes fell to Yang's hand. It had brushed against hers and now rested millimeters away from her own. The table wasn't very large, and she had been leaning forward, taking up half the table...

If she just...

Her fingers twitched, and brushed against the back of Yang's hand. She kept her head down, steadfastly refusing to make eye contact with the blonde lest she pass out.

There was a sharp intake of breath from Yang, followed by silence. Then, Yang's hand shifted ever so slightly, her fingers slowly, carefully, sliding against Blake's, as if she were afraid to break her.

Blake stared at the table, crossing her legs and squeezing them as nervous excitement ran rampant through her body, making her shiver.

Another small gesture on Yang's part, and their fingers were loosely entwined. Blake made no move to pull away, instead focusing on the feeling of Yang's soft skin against her own.

Blake wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, holding hands across the table as Yang happily chomped at her cone while Blake desperately wished she could hide behind her curtain of hair. Why, oh why did she choose a ponytail today? She was sure that Yang could easily see the blush creeping up the back of her neck and coloring her face.

No, she wasn't sure how long her left hand was wrapped up in Yang's right, but she was freed from her embarrassing thoughts when Yang turned her hand over slowly so that her palm faced the sky. Finished eating some time ago, Yang used her now free left hand to slowly trace patterns on Blake's upturned palm. The lightest of touches sent ticklish feelings tearing through Blake, and she watched in fascination as Yang doodled random patterns on her palm, fingers skittering up her wrist to her forearm and sometimes lightly scratching back down toward her palm with her nails. Blake stared entranced at the seemingly random movements, enjoyment keeping pace with the embarrassment flooding her body at the physical touches.

Suddenly, Yang stopped, gently pulling her hand out of Blake's. She had to smile at the crestfallen look that immediately overtook Blake's beautiful face, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as she stood.

"C'mon, let's get out of here."

"O-okay." Blake's voice was shaky as she responded.

* * *

It was dark out. It was nearing ten-thirty at night when Yang had called it an evening, much to Blake's internalized despair. She had been really enjoying her time with Yang, and had wished it would never end. Yang had promised to see her the next day though, so there was some comfort to the impending end of the wonderful day.

Yang seemed to be driving too fast, Blake thought, although in reality she knew Yang was following the speed limit. It just seemed like Weiss' house was approaching in fast forward, too quickly for her liking. Every street they drove down, every green set of lights they passed through, was one more step toward the end of a night that she didn't want to end.

Yang had offered to take her back to her own house, but Blake had declined. Weiss' house was closer, and as much as she wanted more time to spend with Yang on the drive home, she didn't really want to go home to her empty house right now. A quick text had confirmed Weiss' acceptance of her late night arrival, as Blake knew she would. More than likely, they would be up all night talking.

About Yang, of course.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Yang began braking, rhythmic ticking of the turn signal indicating that they had arrived at their destination. Slowing to a near crawl, The truck heaved slightly as it pulled into Weiss' driveway.

Setting the truck into park, Yang smiled happily at Blake.

"Allow me to get your door." She said with an aggrandized gesture toward Blake, earning a giggle from the girl.

Yang hopped out, and a second later she was at Blake's door, pulling it open for her. Blake had already removed her seat belt, and she took Yang's hand as she carefully slid her legs over, feet searching for the side steps.

Finding it, she carefully stepped down out of the truck, moving to the side as Yang gently closed the door. Suddenly, she realized her hand was still tightly gripping Yang's, but she made no move to pull away as Yang turned to her.

"Blake, I had a wonderful time with you today, and I look for-"

She was cut off as Blake threw her arms around Yang's neck, pulling the girl close and gently pressing her lips against Yang's.

Yang was frozen motionless for only a second before reacting. Wrapping her arms around Blake's narrow waist, she pulled the girl tightly to her body, returning the kiss with fervent desire.

Blake was faintly aware of the taste of mint and chocolate upon the girl's lips, and her mouth parted ever so slightly in a desire to deepen the kiss. Yang, hyper aware of Blake's every move, caught the subtle gesture and responded, tilting her head slightly and parting her lips. Instantly their tongues met in an almost timid greeting, before Yang grew more bold and more familiar with Blake. Kissing her aggressively, she stepped forward and pushed Blake up against her truck in a way that faintly resembled their meeting this morning.

Yang could feel Blake's hands form fists in her hair, and she moaned softly at the inadvertent tugging that ensued.

Teeth finding Blake's lower lip, she nipped her gently before breaking the kiss, pulling away to stare at Blake's flushed face. Her chest heaved slightly as she breathed deeply to catch her breath. Her normally bright, wide golden eyes were dark and half lidded with desire.

Just then, Blake remembered that Yang had spoken.

"I... uh, had a good time too." She said softly, earning a small chuckle from the taller, younger girl.

"It was... a really good date." Blake whispered.

"I'm glad." The blonde said happily, leaning forward to place a kiss on Blake's forehead.

"Let's do it again real soon."

* * *

Author's note: If you enjoyed, drop me a review and let me know. I'll be continuing this one on and off for a while. They're just so adorable.


	12. Within Heaven's Reach

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 12: Within Heaven's Reach_

* * *

It was hard to pinpoint exactly when she had fallen in love with her best friend and partner. Although, she guessed, that was kind of the point. It wasn't something that just happened overnight. It was a culmination of everything that had happened from the moment they had met, her irritation over having her book plucked from her hands melting at the sight of warm, friendly lilac eyes.

She hadn't known it at the time, but this was everything she was searching for. The oasis in the lonely desert that she had walked through. She had been living, but never truly felt alive until she felt that girl's touch upon her arm, her voice in her ear. To be fair, she hadn't known that this was what she was searching for. She wasn't even aware that she had been looking. Now, having stumbled upon the one thing she never knew she needed most, her life seemed so dark and grey in comparison, a sepia overtone coloring every memory of her past.

The light that the girl brought to her life seemed to outshine even the sun itself, her presence lighting up the grayest of days and bringing a smile to her face that turned her tears of sorrow into tears of joy.

"Blake?" Yang spoke softly, sitting beside her. "Are you okay?"

Blake's mouth curved into the barest hints of a smile, and it was enough for Yang.

"Yeah... just lost in my head again."

Yang reached out and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close until Blake's head gently rested upon her shoulder. It was quiet again, silence seemingly louder in her ears than any shout.

Yang always knew just what to say or do to make her feel better. Even when she wasn't necessarily saddened, Yang could make her feel better than she ever thought she could. All with a look, or a touch, or a poorly executed joke or pun.

In many ways, Yang was her sun. Blake stuck to her like a literal and proverbial shadow, seemingly dependent on her for her very life and existence. For her part, Yang was happy to provide. Blake wasn't sure how to feel about this reversal in her life; before, she would give anything to be alone. Now, the thought of being alone- alone without Yang- filled her with such dread that her hands would shake and her vision would blur.

Blake reached up and deftly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes before they could fall and alert the blonde to their presence.

It hardly seemed a life worth living, a life without this constant, shining presence in it. Blake's thoughts turned morbid as she wondered what would happen if Yang ever left her life. In some ways, Yang defined her. Yang defined her in a way no other could. Not her past, her affiliations, or any other aspect of her life. When she thought of the best way to describe herself, it was a complement to the shining star that was Yang. In more ways than one, she wouldn't be herself without her partner. Without the glorious light that was Yang's exuberant, loving life, Blake's shadow would fade until it disappeared, just a memory of what she used to be.

At first, she was terrified. She didn't want to be defined so wholly by another person. It took so much control out of her hands, and she wasn't used to it. It felt strange, putting her life in the hands of someone else. Until she realized that she had no choice in the matter. Her heart was tied so strongly to Yang that no conscious decision she made on her part would ever change the way things were. So she accepted it. She figured out what it meant to be a partner and friend, and tried to be the very best partner and friend she could be.

"You're... you're not going there again, are you?" Yang whispered in her ear, voice so soft that it nearly made Blake melt.

It was useless to lie. Not only would Yang see right through it, but Blake couldn't lie. Not to Yang. She meant more than that.

"I am, a bit." She admitted. She sniffled, trying to hold back her tears. She wrapped her arms around her legs and bowed her head until her forehead touched her knees. Squeezing her eyes closed, she thought she might be okay, until Yang tenderly wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. It broke her.

The tears were unstoppable now, and she didn't bother trying to hide it. Her shoulders shook with every shuddering sob, and she was barely aware of Yang's soft voice whispering in her ear as she gently stroked her hair.

It was hard not to feel undeserving. It was hard to accept that this was the way things were. Yang seemed too good to be true. A true goddess among mortals, a taste of heaven upon this hellish earth. Mostly, it was hard to deny the effect Yang was having on her.

Yang squeezed her a bit tighter, and Blake pushed herself against Yang, hungry for even the slightest bit of contact. Yang obliged, pulling Blake into her lap and gently cradling Blake's head against her chest.

"I'm sorry." Blake choked out in a teary whisper.

Yang shook her head vehemently.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I don't deserve this, I don't deserve you." Blake replied, hands clenching into fists as she hugged her knees tightly to her chest.

"I think you do. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here." Yang replied softly.

Blake shook her head, but couldn't speak.

Yang continued to gently run her fingers through Blake's hair, careful not to disturb her bow.

There was silence for a moment, and Yang found her mind wandering. Thoughts of Blake running through her head, she was caught off guard when Blake spoke again.

"It's not fair!" Blake growled, her voice trembling.

"W-what isn't?" Yang asked, unsure of this new outburst.

"Everything." Blake replied sullenly. "You."

"I'm... not fair?"

"What you do to me, it isn't fair."

Concern for her friend spreading throughout her mind, Yang gently pulled away. Reaching out she gently grasped Blake's cheek, intending on tilting her face so she could look into her eyes.

Instead, Blake jerked out of her grasp, intent on avoiding eye contact.

"What do I do to you?" Yang asked, confusion on her face hiding the hurt in her eyes at Blake's rough treatment.

Blake twisted out of Yang's grasp, deftly rolling to her feet and standing. Yang was quick to follow though, as Blake made a beeline for the door.

Blake was fast, but when Yang had her mind on a task, she was unstoppable.

Blake reached the door and grabbed the handle. Twisting, she managed to pull it open a few inches before Yang's fist slammed into the door.

It slammed shut against the jamb with a painfully loud 'thud', and Yang was sure that someone from across the hall would be along to check on them in a moment. That thought when to the back of her mind as she slipped closer to Blake, trapping the girl between her body and the door.

Slipping her arms around Blake's waist, she pulled the girl close until Blake, still facing the door, had her back pressed up against Yang's chest.

"Blake, I'm not very smart." Yang began, inhaling softly as her mind sifted through everything she wanted to say and began to put it into coherent sentences.

"Yes you a-"

"Just shh." Yang cut her off gently. "Just let me finish."

Silently, Blake nodded. Her bow twitched, and Yang knew she was listening closely, with both sets of ears.

"Like I said, I'm not very smart. All I really know how to do is fight. That's what I'm good at and it's what I'm good for."

Yang stopped for a second, but as promised, there was no interruption from Blake.

"I know I'll never be as smart as you." Yang said, "But the thing is, I don't have to be to know that I will _never_ find a girl like you ever again in my life."

Blake seemed to stiffen in her arms, but she was still silent, so Yang continued.

"And I don't want to. You're the best. You're the best partner and friend I could ever hope to ask for. You're incredibly talented, and whenever you're around me I feel like you guide me toward being a better person. Blake, you're the one who picks me up when I'm down, and who fixes me up when I get broken."

Yang paused to breathe deeply, heart hammering in her chest at the next part she wanted to say.

"To me, you're the most important person in my life. Although don't tell Ruby I said that." She muttered quickly.

"When you're standing by my side, I'm complete. When you're not around, it's as though the light has gone out of my life, and I feel like I have no purpose."

Blake slowly relaxed in Yang's embrace, and Yang was faintly aware of the red tint creeping along the tips of her human ears.

"Blake, I know that you're my best friend, and the best partner I could ever ask for, and I know that that's more than I should ever hope to have, but..."

Yang saw Blake's chest freeze, and knew that the raven-haired girl was holding her breath.

"I hope I'm not getting ahead of myself here, but Blake, it feels like there's more than just a friendship here."

Breathing once again, Blake sighed. Slowly, she turned around in Yang's arms until she was facing her partner. Reaching up, she touched the side of Yang's face, staring deep into her eyes as she blinked away her tears.

"I didn't want to say anything. You bring so much to my life that it didn't seem fair that I ask for more. I tried to be content to just be your friend, but that's harder than it sounds. When I'm not around you, I feel like a homeless stray wandering the streets. It's not a good feeling, to be without you. Every bit of you brings me indescribable joy."

Yang reached up and gently wiped away the tears forming in the corners of Blake's eyes.

"Yang. When you're by my side, it feels as if though the heavens themselves are within my reach. You're the wings that pick me up when I'm feeling down, and your arms are where I truly feel at home. When you look at me, I feel like my life has genuine worth, and nothing can ever measure up to that. I love you."

Yang's heart soared at the sound of Blake's sweet voice murmuring those three coveted words, and she could barely contain herself as she pulled the girl even closer, squeezing her even tighter.

"I love you too, Blake. And I promise you, you'll never be alone again. I know that it's not always easy, but even when the sun goes down and all hope seems lost, I'll shine bright enough for the both of us, if you promise to always be my shadow, and never leave my side."

* * *

Author's note: I don't really have much to say about this one. Kinda just wrote whatever came to mind as I tried a slightly different take on Blake's shadowy personality and Yang's ever-present fiery attitude. Hopefully you enjoyed. Possibly part 4 of "Something Different" on the near horizon? Who knows.


	13. Enthralled

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 13: Enthralled_

* * *

Author's note: This is for Reeves3, OtakuLeader, and the rest of you who always take a moment of your time to let me know what you think of my work. It means a lot, thanks for all of the wonderful reviews. Also, a warning for language and sexual content. In case that wasn't your thing and half the reason you read these things.

* * *

It was hard not be completely enthralled by every move she made. And even moreso by every move she didn't make. Every movement she made was deliberate and calculated, a means to a meaningful end. Every move she didn't make had Yang enraptured, a glimpse into the girl's stunning mind.

Yang sighed softly to herself as a crooked grin stole over her face. She sounded like an obsessed lover, she knew. Which wasn't far from the truth. She shifted slightly to free up her left arm, and wrapped it around the girl sleeping lazily on top of her. The girl moved only slightly, nuzzling into Yang's chest as stray strands of her jet black hair tickled Yang's cheek.

Yang ignored it in favor of gently stroking the girl's hair. Her hand kept a steady rhythm as it slipped from between her adorable cat ears and down her back in long, languid strokes.

It was truly a rare sight to behold, the egnimatic Blake Belladonna passed out naked save for a black thong without a care in the world, strewn haphazardly across Yang's barely clothed body. Yang inhaled deeply, reveling in the unique scent that consisted of Blake's natural scent mixed with sex and sweat.

It was intoxicating.

Yang moaned softly as Blake shifted once more, a little mewling sound escaping her lips before she quieted.

The feeling of Blake pressed against her, the weight of her body between her legs, skin on skin was nothing like anything she had ever experienced before. For Blake to be this relaxed, this open around her, Yang was painfully aware of just what that meant.

She licked her lips, and closed her eyes as the unfamiliar yet oh-so-comforting taste brought back flashes of their earlier dalliance. The taste was sweet, but unlike anything she had ever tasted. Her entire body craved more, wanted to taste more.

Yang began scratching lightly at Blake's head, fingers brushing up against her cute little ears. They twitched in response, flicking away from the ticklish touch.

Yang giggled quietly. In response, Blake's hands - one stretched up to rest on Yang's bare shoulder, the other resting on Yang's hip- tightened their grip.

Yang responded in kind, tightening her left armed embrace on the girl's waist.

Yang let the image of Blake's flawless body run through her mind once more.

* * *

She would never forget what it was like to pull Blake's shirt off over her head with as much passion and desire as she could muster. Embarrassment and desire warred with each other, conflicting emotions visible on Blake's red-tinted face as she stared up at Yang. Her hair, slightly messed by Yang's less than gentle shirt removal, only lent itself to her messy, sexy look. The way she bit her lip, uncertainty clear on her face as Yang drank in her disheveled, heated appearance.

The bow, disturbed now, was the next to go. Yang however, was much more gentle with the removal of this item. Slowly, carefully, she untied the bow. Before it fell to reveal Blake's ears, Yang glanced down at her, silently asking permission with one look.

A nod.

Yang gently tugged the bow off, setting it aside. Twitching sporadically at their new found freedom, the ears flicked this way and that as they took in new sounds unmuffled by the constraining fabric.

Yang couldn't stop herself. She tackled the girl, pushing her to the bed as she threw a leg over her waist. Straddling the raven-haired beauty, she stared down at her in awe. Even with the dim lighting of a room mostly darkened, Yang's sharp eyes took in every detail of the girl pinned underneath her. The way her sharp golden eyes stared up at Yang. They were almost unrecognizable, for once devoid of suspicion, disbelief, and the myriad of negative emotions they usually held. Now, they were clear and bright with longing and desire.

They were beautiful.

It was rare that Yang found herself flustered and unable to form coherent thoughts, but if anyone could get to her, it was the elusive beauty beneath her. Feeling the back of her neck heating up, she inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm herself down.

Slowly, she leaned down until their noses were almost touching, Blake's golden eyes following her ever move.

"You're so beautiful, Blake." Yang whispered.

In response, Blake gently tugged her wrists out of Yang's loose grasp, and wrapped them tightly around Yang's neck. Closing her eyes and ever so slightly parting her lips, she pulled the blonde toward her for a slow, gentle kiss that turned into anything but.

Turns out, Blake's a biter. And Yang loved it.

Their lips fought for dominance as Blake's hands found their way under Yang's oversized sleeping shirt, nails clawing down her back as she pulled the blonde closer. Blake raised her hips off the bed, pressing herself tightly to Yang. Yang felt Blake nipping affectionately at her bottom lip, and responded by reaching up with her left hand and gently encircling Blake's throat, fingers pressing into her porcelain skin as she felt Blake's frantic heartbeat pulsing beneath her fingertips.

Their heated kiss was broken as Blake moaned, tilting her head back as pleasure rocked her body at the thought of submissively giving herself over to Yang, Yang's strong yet careful grip around her throat turning her on more than she thought it would.

"Oh God Yang..." Blake breathed, closing her eyes as her stomach fluttered nervously, arousal making her body tremble.

"Yeah, kitten?" Yang's voice was low and husky in her ear.

"Fuck me." She pleaded, her voice a whisper. "Dominate me, make me yours."

Yang's eyes widened in surprise, not knowing that Blake had this kind of streak in her.

It was probably all those books she read.

 _'That's kinda hot.'_ Yang thought, watching Blake's green bra clad chest heave up and down with each impassioned breath. _'That's okay, I can play along.'_

"Beg me for it." Yang whispered, tightening her grip around Blake's throat as her other hand deftly unhooked the clasp on the front of Blake's bra and clawing the fabric away to reveal her soft breasts.

"Nnngh... " Blake clenched her teeth together in an attempt to silence the moan that threatened to escape her throat, but it was no use. The feeling of Yang's strong grip around her throat rendering her vulnerable and defenseless was too much.

"I can't hear you..." Yang smirked, leaning forward on her knees and picking herself up off Blake's hips. Staring down at the girl, she used her free hand to gently stroke Blake's cheek.

"Please Yang, please... fuck me. Own me." Blake's voice was little more than a whisper, trembling in anticipation and desire.

"Good girl, that's better." Yang gently patted Blake on the head before gently grabbing the tip of one of her cat ears and giving it a gentle twist.

The shuddering moan that Blake couldn't keep down made Yang's skin tingle as she slowly released her grip on Blake's throat. Leaning down, she kissed Blake softly on the lips before reaching up and gently caressing her cheek. Tilting Blake's head to the side, her lips found her earlobe. Nibbling gently on it, she smirked as Blake reacted by nuzzling up against her.

Yang moved lower, slowly licking Blake's throat as she made her way down to her collarbone. There, she gently nipped the Faunus, earning a throaty gasp of approval. Yang was faintly aware of Blake tangling her fists in her long blonde locks, and she hummed softly.

Moving ever lower, her mouth settled on Blake's left breast, sucking gently as she ran her tongue over her nipple. Slowly it hardened in response, and Yang gently pinched it between her teeth before softly licking at the tender flesh.

Not one to linger for too long, Yang slid ever lower, placing soft kisses on Blake's unblemished, tight stomach as she moved toward Blake's trembling hips.

Blake spread her legs as Yang slid down between them, nose pressed to Blake's stomach as she inhaled deeply.

"I bet you taste as good as you smell." Yang whispered, fingers reaching for the waistband of Blake's leggings. Gripping the fabric in her hands, she slowly tugged it down. Blake rocked her hips seductively, encouraging the stretchy fabric to pull back from her body.

Stripping the leggings off and tossing them to the floor, Yang settled back down between Blake's legs. Kissing the insides of her thighs, she made her way closer to Blake's now damp black panties.

Gripping Blake's waist and securely holding her down, Yang slowly, teasingly, tugged down Blake's panties with her teeth, hair falling over her shoulder and tickling the inside of Blake's thighs.

"Nngh, Yaang..." Blake's voice was reduced to a ragged moan.

"Mmm. Patience." Yang teased, pausing as Blake's hips twitched in anticipation and desire.

"Oh? What's this?" Yang asked, eyeing two small raises hidden by the fabric of Blake's panties.

"Is that what I think it is?" Yang whispered.

Reaching up, she hooked her fingers into the skimpy fabric of Blake's panties and pulled them down to her knees, now the one with no patience.

"Wow, Blake. I had no idea you had hip piercings." Yang hummed in approval.

"Although... those are awfully low for a hip piercing."

Blake was about to reply, but her thoughts were stripped from her head as Yang suddenly dipped down, swiping her tongue up between her legs. Squeezing her eyes closed, she spread her legs further, offering herself to Yang as embarrassment faded to the back of her mind. Desire took over, and buried for good any thoughts of decency.

Yang leaned her head down and licked at Blake's perfectly smooth, clean shaven skin again, pushing her tongue between her folds and letting the taste of her saturate her mouth. She could hear Blake breathing heavily, and glancing up she saw Blake's hands roaming across her body as her fingers skittered across her flat stomach before coming to rest on her breasts.

"You taste pretty good." Yang spoke softly, wrapping her arms around Blake's trembling legs and settling into a more comfortable position on her stomach. The whispered words got a soft moan from the girl.

Thinking back on her hands wrapped around Blake's throat and the response it elicited, Yang figured she was beginning to learn what made Blake tick.

"Pretty good for a worthless fucking slut, anyway." Yang growled, sinking her tongue inside Blake.

This time the reaction was much more pronounced, as Blake's hips bucked in Yang's face, legs trembling in desire as a throaty moan filled the air. Blake's hands slid down her body until they were entangled in Yang's hair. Almost instantly, Yang could feel Blake getting wetter, and she licked it up with fervent desire.

* * *

Yang shook her head slowly, a smile flitting across her face as she remembered all the degrading, vile things she had said to Blake. For her part, the girl loved it. Soaked it up, basked in the verbal and physical abuse that Yang administered.

Lifting her head off her pillow, she sat up as much as she could without disturbing the sleeping girl on top of her. Her eyes slid down Blake's near naked body, picking out the bite marks on her left shoulder, the scratches down her back. The skin was broken in some spots, dried blood darkening her otherwise ivory complexion. A dark, baseball sized bruise was slowly forming on the side of her hip, and her throat looked like someone had tried to crush the life out of her.

Sometimes she didn't know her own strength, she thought, eyeing the small dark bruises that had formed along the side of her tender throat, courtesy of Yang's tight grip.

She especially didn't know her own strength when her mind was clouded by desire and need.

She let her head fall back to her pillow, sighing quietly.

* * *

Yang had Blake on her stomach on the bed, head turned to the side and pushed roughly into the sheets as her right hand gripped the back of Blake's neck tightly, her left hand between her legs. With two fingers she was swiftly fingering the trembling Faunus girl, eagerly reacting to Blake's gasping cries of 'harder' and 'rougher'.

The bed underneath Blake was damp, and her wetness coated the inside of her thighs down to her knees. The rest of Blake was wet as well, a sheen of sweat glistening across her flawless skin as Yang kept the girl on the ragged edge of release. Her body trembled and spasmed in response, periodically contracting around Yang's fingers as her entire body tensed and relaxed.

Blake had gone quiet now, Yang noticed, biting her lip and she squeezed her eyes closed. Her bangs stuck to her sweaty forehead, beads of sweat coursing teasing paths down her skin. Yang had come to associate this concentrated quietness with Blake's imminent release, and she slowed her pleasurable ministrations, wanting to prolong it a bit longer.

Blake growled in displeasure at the loss of stimulation, and pushed her hips back against Yang's hand.

Pulling her hand away from Blake's wet pussy, she brought her hand to her mouth and slowly licked the taste of Blake off her fingers.

* * *

Yang listened to Blake's even, slow breathing. It was calming, relaxing, she noted, as she felt Blake's sedate heartbeat against her skin.

Every bit of Yang was relaxed and content. There was nothing she could ever want or need in this moment more than the beautiful girl sprawled across her.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in slowly and deeply through her nose. The lingering scent of Blake nearly overwhelmed her, and she had to fight the urge to ravage the sleeping girl's body once more.

Her mind turned once more to the marks left on Blake's body. The girl had begged her over and over to take her and make her Yang's, and Yang had given it her all to do just that.

If nothing else, the physical marks, reminders of their aggressive and passionate sex, would serve as a temporary brand of ownership.

Yang was jerked out of her thoughts as a soft murmuring reached her ears, and she opened her eyes, thinking that Blake had somehow been woken up.

"Blake?" She whispered, unsure if the girl was fully awake or not.

"...love... "

Yang's eyes widened at what she was sure she had heard, and she cursed the way her heart raced, sending blood hammering through her ears.

"B-Blake?"

There was silence for a second, then Blake renewed her grip on the blonde boxer before sighing softly in sleep-filled contentment.

Another whispered murmur passed Blake's lips, something that Yang couldn't quite catch for sure.

Although, she thought, heart hammering in her chest, she had never mistaken hearing her named called before.

* * *

Author's note: I don't usually write these kinds of things because I feel that, like violence, sex often loses it's effect when done in excess. I enjoyed this one though, and I hope you did as well. This may be another one I expand upon with additional chapters from time to time, because cuddly Bumblebee and freaky Bumblebee sex are just things that everyone needs more of. In the mean time, smash that review button and let me know what you think!


	14. Happy Holidays Part One

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 14: Happy Holidays, Chapter 1 of ?_

* * *

Author's note: I'm not sure if they have Christmas in Remnant, but it's time for a seasonally appropriate one-shot. This will contain Arkos, Renora, White Rose, and of course, everyone's favourite OTP Bumblebee. Enjoy!

* * *

It was Christmas Eve. Yang, dressed in white snowflake emblazoned light blue leggings and a white sleeveless tank top, danced around their dorm as cheesy Christmas music played softly in the background. Perched upon her head was a Santa hat, the pom on the end drooping over her shoulder and resting against her chest as it tickled her neck.

Her sister Ruby had her hair tied back in a short ponytail and had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows as she stood over their small counter, mixing up cookie dough in a small silver bowl. She hummed softly to herself as she worked, hips swaying side to side in tune with the happy music that reached her ears.

The raven-haired girl Blake, Yang's ever aloof partner, was laying on her stomach with a book open in front of her. Trying her best to read, she for once didn't mind the constant distractions of her partner, looking up every so often to smile softly at the antics of her friend.

Weiss, for her part, seemed to really enjoy the holiday season, her uptight and reserved attitude fading slightly. Her smile seemed to be a bit wider, come to her face a bit easier, and her scolding tone seemed a bit softer as she chastised Yang's sugar-fueled antics. Carefully tying back her hair, she moved over to the counter to help Ruby with the holiday baking.

They had eaten supper a few hours before, and after all laying on their respective beds to digest the hefty meal for an hour, had slowly gotten their energy back. Now, they planned on being awake late into the night, celebrating the beloved holiday in any way they saw fit.

Ruby had suggested inviting team JNPR over to eat cookies and watch Christmas movies with, and Yang had volunteered to send Pyrrha a text via scroll. She hadn't received a reply yet, but promised her sister that she would alert her the moment she did.

"Are you sure you're doing that right?" Weiss asked, before wincing internally at how it sounded.

"I mean, are you sure those aren't too close together?" She rephrased her comment, as she watched Ruby carefully scoop blobs of dough onto a baking sheet.

Ruby glanced sideways at her partner, not giving her the privilege of a full look.

"I've learned from the best, Weiss. "I've got this." She said confidently.

Weiss raised her hands up in the air defensively, signalling her defeat.

"Okay, okay. I'll trust you on this one." She conceded.

Ruby hummed happily, scooping up another spoonful of dough. This time though, it disappeared into her mouth instead of the cookie sheet, and Weiss' icy blue eyes widened slightly.

"Don't eat raw cookie dough!" Weiss reprimanded, slapping Ruby gently on the shoulder.

"Aww, Weiss, whyyy?" Ruby moaned around a mouthful of dough, setting the spoon down temporarily to rub her arm.

"It's bad for you." Weiss scolded. "You need to eat real food if you want to grow up fit."

Ruby crossed her arms over her chest, swallowing happily as a grin of pride overtook her face.

"I don't need real food to grow up fit, I slay Grimm."

Weiss sighed to herself as she closed her eyes, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Ruby... you're an idiot."

Just then, there was a knock at the door, distracting Weiss from her over-protective and well meaning beratement of her partner.

"I'll get it!" Yang said in a sing-song voice. Although, in a stark contrast to her statement, she promptly moved in the opposite direction, toward Blake's bed.

Grabbing the book and yanking it out the unsuspecting Faunus' hands, she tossed it over her shoulder, narrowly missing the heiress with the makeshift missile.

"Come with meeeee, Blake!"

Yang grabbed the hand of the exasperated Faunus, who turned a worried eye toward her beloved book in an attempt to make sure it wasn't damaged. Weiss, who had bent over to retrieve the book, gave her a curt nod to assure her that it was fine.

Blake allowed herself to be dragged to the door. Often times, it was easier to go along with Yang's makeshift plans than to fight it.

Placing her hand on the door handle, she twisted it and whipped the door open in a grand gesture.

"Helloooo!" Yang sung, waving at team JNPR standing on the other side of the entrance.

"Oooooh, we aren't... interrupting anything, are we?" Nora asked, bending at the waist and pointing at Yang and Blake's still-entwined hands.

Blake looked down, puzzled at first and then realizing what Nora was getting at. A hot flush creeping into her cheeks, she jerked her hand away from Yang's, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ah, Nora, I don't think we were interrupting anything. They willfully answered the door like that, we didn't stumble into it or anything." Ren offered quietly.

Nora straightened, eyebrows furrowing as she raised a finger to her lips.

"Welllll... if that's what partners do, then let's do it too, Ren!" She exclaimed, throwing both hands into the air in an excited fashion before settling down to latch onto Ren's arm.

Ren, for his part, merely blinked slowly. Blake was sure that he had dealt with worse.

Pyrrha waved, before clasping her wrists in front of her stomach.

"Hello." She greeted in that soft, velvety voice of hers. "Sorry I didn't text you back. Nora borrowed my scroll for a second, and well... I need a new scroll."

Yang waved it off as Jaune raised a hand in greeting.

"Yo." Was all he said, as Yang and Blake stepped out of the way to allow them room to enter.

Piling into the room, they all swiftly scattered, each finding their own comfortable place to lounge as they surveyed the team's room.

Ren was casting a critical eye at the rope suspended bed, but chose to keep whatever opinions he had on the subject to himself.

Pyrrha, ever thoughtful, instantly set about to making tea, asking each of her team members and RWBY as well if they wanted any.

"So... what's the invite for?" Jaune asked, casting his gaze around the room as if it would suddenly rear up and bite him.

"Well," Ruby spoke up, licking her thumb as she opened the oven door, "We're always crowding your place and making a mess, so we decided to return the favor! I'm making cookies!"

Weiss had to stifle a laugh at the sheer amount of pride contained in that last sentence, remembering that her partner was still just an over-zealous fifteen year old.

 _'Well,'_ She corrected herself, _'Not 'just' an over-zealous fifteen year old, but still...'_

Yang glanced at her retreating partner before flipping her hair over her shoulder nonchalantly and fixing her hat.

"Yeah, besides, I've got a little something for us!"

"Oh God, what did you do?" Was Weiss' immediate, knee-jerk reaction.

Immediately, seven faces turned to study her, and she blinked at the sudden attention. Realizing they wanted an explanation that elaborated on her exclamation, she opened her mouth to speak.

"C'mon, it's _Yang_." She said. "Whatever it is, it won't be good."

Yang pouted, having the decency to pretend to be offended.

"Aww, come on. That's not called for."

Before anyone could answer, she moved toward the fridge and opened it. Bending down, she reached inside toward the back of the fridge.

When she had grasped the item she needed, she straightened. Turning around, she held the item up proudly.

"Eh?" She asked. "Ehhh? La Crema Coast Chardonnay." She exclaimed happily. "We deserve it tonight, girls!"

Lilac eyes flicking around the room, they briefly landed on Ren and Jaune.

"Oh. And, er, boys."

Jaune sighed, whilst Ren merely nodded slowly at the afterthought of an inclusion.

"You know, some of us aren't old enough to be drinking that." Weiss interjected.

"Aww, relax, Snowstorm." Yang waved her off, ignoring her indignant look at the new nickname. "We aren't getting hammered tonight, there's not enough for that."

"It _is_ Christmas Eve." Ren said softly. "I'm sure a bit won't hurt."

Nora pumped both fists in the air, whooping at Ren's approval.

Yang slid fluidly over to the cupboard where the glasses were, and pulled down eight small, fancy looking glasses. Setting them down in a neat line, she turned her attention to the wine bottle. After a second of difficulty, having never popped a bottle of wine before, she figured out the mechanism easily enough. Pointing the cork away from her friends, she pushed up on it until it popped, foam bubbling up over the top and cascading down over her hand as she gripped the neck of the bottle.

Tilting the bottle up, she carefully poured the bubbling liquid into each of the eight glasses before setting the bottle down on the counter.

"Drinks up!" She exclaimed, raising her hand to her mouth to lick up the liquid. As she did, she raised her eyes to find her partner.

Making eye contact with her partner, she found Blake was staring at her from her spot on the bed, and she grinned playfully as she stuck out her tongue and slowly licked the liquid off the back of her hand.

Instantly Blake looked away, anywhere but at the blonde as she tried to find something else to occupy her attention. It didn't prevent her from hearing the blonde laughing though, presumably at her and her reaction.

Suddenly, she realized what Yang had said, and not wanting to draw undue attention to herself, reluctantly got off the bed and shuffled into line behind a few others. A callout by Yang was not something she wanted right now.

Once everyone had a glass in their hand, some looking much more comfortable than others, Yang raised hers into the air.

"To a wonderful team, wonderful partners, great friends, and to a fantastic rest of the year ahead of us on this crazy journey through Beacon."

There were murmurs of agreement as they all raised their glasses to their lips, some taking bigger gulps than others.

"Oooh, that's pretty good!" Nora exclaimed, and Ren barely contained his sigh of disappointment.

Weiss, used to the finer aspects of etiquette, raised the glass daintily to her lips and took a small sip. From the corner of her eye she simultaneously watched Ruby try an experimental sip and cast a disapproving glare at Yang for giving Ruby alcohol. Not that it would have been fair to exclude her from the celebration, and it wasn't that much, but still...

Absent-mindedly she took another drink from her glass, running her tongue over her lips as she thought about how irresponsible Yang was sometimes.

"Okay!" Yang exclaimed, motioning toward their questionably crafted bunk beds.

"Time to find a spot where you can see the television on Weiss' desk, 'cuz it's Christmas movie time!"

In an explosion of rose petals, Ruby was perched upon her bed, ropes creaking quietly as the bed rocked gently back and forth.

Weiss blinked a few times as she realized that Ruby still had her glass in hand, apparently not a drop spilled.

Nora grabbed Ren's hand and pulled him onto Weiss' bed underneath Ruby, bouncing in excitement upon the sheets and blankets that Weiss had painstakingly folded and smoothed.

Pyrrha, thinking nothing of it, grabbed Jaune's hand and pulled him toward Blake's bed. Making sure they weren't blocking Blake's view, who had once again returned to leaning up against the headboard with a book in one hand and her glass in the other, they settled on the far end, giving Blake her personal space.

Yang effortlessly pulled herself up onto her bunk with one arm, careful not to spill her wine as she settled in on her stomach. From up here she undoubtedly had a better view than the bottom bunks of the television on the other side of the room across from their bunks, but having also watched TV from Blake's bunk a few times, she knew the view wasn't bad from down there either.

Weiss was the only one still leaning against the counter, and she surveyed her diminishing options with a critical eye. Nora and Ren were... blech. Not her ideal movie watching partner. Ren, maybe. He was quiet and refined, much like herself. But that was quickly thrown off by Nora, who was too loud and, more often than not, downright _sticky_ , for Weiss' liking.

On the other lower bed, Pyrrha, Jaune, and a few feet away from them, Blake. Too crowded.

Raising her eyes, she caught Yang's perplexed gaze.

No.

Blue eyes sliding across to Ruby, she saw the girl staring at her, patting the bed next to her.

Coolly raising her glass to her lips, she took another swallow before making up her mind. Of all the least attractive possibilities, Ruby was the _least_ least attractive.

Gracefully pulling herself up onto the bunk, she settled in next to Ruby, careful not to get too close as she cradled her wine carefully.

The bed swayed gently from her weight, and she ceased her movements as she waited for the motion to stop. Beside her, Ruby grinned happily at her as she picked up the remote for the television. Flicking it on, she changed the input to DVD. Picking up a smaller, different remote, she clicked on the power, letting it load a minute before pressing 'play'.

"Blake, lights?" Yang asked, tilting her head over the edge of her bed to look pleadingly at her partner.

Blake sighed audibly. She never should have showed Yang this damn trick...

Setting her book down and switching her wine glass to her left hand, she leaned down and reached under her bed with her right. Fingers closing around Gambol Shroud, she straightened up. From her position on her bed, she could just barely see the lightswitch on the far wall, near the front door. Rearing her arm back, aiming took barely a second before she threw her weapon, ribbon threading it's way through her fingers with a comforting friction induced heat.

With non-lethal accuracy, the weapon smacked into the lightswitch, knocking it into the 'off' position even as her fingers closed around the faded, well worn ribbon and gave it a muscle memory induced jerk. Instantly the weapon reversed course, sailing toward her open fingers as she caught it with a practiced, graceful smoothness.

Yang grinned at her as Nora clapped loudly, Pyrrha offering up a quiet "Impressive!" over Jaune's vocalized grunt of surprise.

Tucking the weapon under her bed and letting the ribbon slowly slip between her fingers, she straightened up as her eyes adjusted to the dark.

Her eyes focused on the television as she picked up her book once more, her fingers dog eared the page before silently closing it. As she tried to focus her mind on what she was seeing, her scroll vibrated.

Reaching down her shirt, she pulled it out of her bra.

 _'Why aren't you up here with your partner? :('_

Blake rolled her eyes. Yang. What a nuisance.

 _'I'm fine where I am.'_ Was her swift reply, before tucking her phone away and taking another sip from her drink. She had barely returned her attention back to the television before her scroll vibrated again.

Pulling it out once more, she saw it was another text from Yang.

 _'You know, I bet Pyrrha would really appreciate it if you gave up your bed and disappeared.'_

Blake was about to text back a scathing reply, when she hesitated, suddenly unsure. Raising her head, she snuck a glance at the two sitting, somewhat uncomfortably she was sure, on the end of the bed.

She bit her lip, unsure. Jaune, she knew, was clueless. And Pyrrha had hinted before at her little crush on their leader, but was tonight the night she made a move? Was Blake being a hindrance to that?

She returned her gaze to her phone, but not before catching a glimpse of Pyrrha surreptitiously sliding closer to Jaune, reducing the foot of space between them by a few inches.

Blake had a feeling it was on.

 _'Give me a few minutes, I don't want it to be too sudden.'_

She didn't bother putting her phone away, knowing Yang would be replying almost instantly. She did, and when she checked her phone, she saw it was a smiley face.

Putting her phone away now, sure that she wouldn't be bothered anymore, she looked around the room, checking to make sure everyone was focused on the movie. She would make her move in a few minutes, and hopefully not disrupt anyone.

Across the room, Ren raised his glass to his lips, halving the liquid inside with a single gulp. Glancing sideways at Nora, he was unsurprised to see that her glass was already empty. Probably had been for some time, he thought.

Returning his gaze to the movie, he was not unaware of how the girl purposefully stretched out, fussing about a bit before settling down a bit closer to him.

He smiled to himself. Subtlety was _not_ a quality Nora possessed.

The next half hour passed in silence.

* * *

Nora had insisted on refilling their glasses until the wide bottle was empty, and a few glasses ago Weiss had lost her insistence on limiting Ruby's intake. In fact, Weiss was positive that Ruby only got funnier the more she had. Or at least, Weiss found herself laughing more frequently at the girl's antics, sometimes finding herself doubled over with tears in the corners of her eyes as she struggled to catch her breath. Ruby certainly didn't mind. Seeing Weiss enjoying herself for once was all the motivation she needed to continue acting like a dork, Nora having no problems jumping in and carrying on with her.

Pyrrha smiled at their antics from where she was now sitting quite close to Jaune. The movie had ended some time ago, but the lights were still out. She was aware of Blake's departure a few minutes into the movie, the Faunus creeping up to Yang's bunk silently, but not without disturbing the bed they sat on. Now, she could faintly hear them talking about putting another movie on. They seemed to be having a slight disagreement on the genre though. Yang wanted a comedy; Blake, as always, wanted a romance.

Sighing softly to herself in contentment as she looked around the room and saw her friends and teammates enjoying themselves, she gently scooted backward until she was resting against the wall. Jaune noticed the movement, and looked over his shoulder, his bright, piercing blue eyes finding Pyrrha's striking, vivid emerald green.

She smiled warmly at him and patted the space beside her, motioning for him to come closer. He obliged silently, scooting backward until he too was pressed against the wall.

Pyrrha loved Jaune's eyes. Unlike Weiss' cold, arctic-blue, Jaune's was the color of the sky on a warm summer's day, inviting and open. They were like an open book, displaying every emotion the boy had, and almost every thought as well.

There was an unfamiliar warmth coursing through her extremities as her reactions seemed to lag just the barest of seconds behind her thoughts, a fuzziness present at the edges of her vision that she was sure wasn't there before. She noted with some difficulty that it became nearly impossible to focus on many things at once, but if she only had to focus on one thing, then her concentration wasn't so easily broken. Speaking clearly and fluently had become a challenge as well, and she took her time to plan out what she was going to say, lest she stumble over her words.

"Yang and Blake are discussing what kind of movie we should watch next." She murmured softly to Jaune, knowing he could hear her. Her shoulder rested against his as she leaned into him slightly. "What kind do you think we should watch?"

Jaune shrugged gently, mindful of Pyrrha's close proximity.

"I'm fine with whatever." He replied. Casting a sideways glance at his partner warily, he asked, "Why, which would you prefer?"

Pyrrha smiled. "It doesn't really matter to me, but I like comedies."

"Thank youuu, Pyrrha!" Came Yang's excited voice from the top bunk above their heads.

Pyrrha and Jaune paused as the bunk above them shook suddenly, as if Blake had tackled Yang. As if sharing thoughts, Pyrrha and Jaune both looked at each other before turning to look at the seemingly less-than-structural books holding the hefty wooden contraption above their heads.

"Should we relocate?" Jaune asked, noting with some trepidation that at some point in the history of the room, some of the books had been knocked out of alignment and looked precariously crooked.

Pyrrha shook her head as she pulled her knees in close to her body, pressing further up against Jaune.

"Mmmno, I don't think anything will happen." She replied. She paused to look at Jaune, her eyes finding his with confidence and ease.

"Besides, if anything does, I'll protect you."

Jaune's eyes widened at that statement, and he scoffed, crossing his arms.

"A-as if I can't take care of myself!"

Pyrrha blinked, before realizing what she said.

"Er, well, that's not what I meant, Jaune."

Jaune, quick to forgive and forget, opened one eye to look at Pyrrha's apologetic expression. After thinking for a moment, he uncrossed his arms, smiling at the girl beside him.

"I know what you meant. And I appreciate it." He spoke softly. Then, after a moment, he swallowed nervously.

"Y-you look really good tonight, by the way."

Pyrrha was secretly taken aback by his boldness, but decided not to show it. Given the occasion, she had forgone her typical armor, and had instead settled for a black, mid-thigh skirt that was not unlike the skirt from her battle attire, but not entirely the same either. A matching black sleeveless top with spaghetti string straps rounded out her outfit, and she had long ago given up on the strap that seemed insistent on sliding down her shoulder.

Her extremely long hair had been left unbound, her standard headpiece not present, and she hadn't missed the glances that Jaune had been giving it all night. In lieu of her typical bracer, she instead wore a glittering, impossibly thin silver chain around her wrist.

"Why, thank you Jaune. You look good as well." She replied. Using this as her excuse to look him over again, she did so.

He too bore no traces of armor. He did, however, retain his trademark appearance of fitted, yet well worn blue jeans. His upper body was clad in a dark red t-shirt that, in this light, seemed to match Pyrrha's hair. Around his right bicep was a thin band with a small slot on it, and it was here that he stored his scroll when he wasn't using it. His hands were bare, devoid of his usual gloves. His messy blonde hair tracked into his eyes, but he seemed to have no problem with it as he grinned at Pyrrha.

"Thanks." Was his quiet reply.

Pyrrha was about to say something, when the bed above her shook violently. Eyes widening, she turned to Jaune.

" _What_ are those two _doing_ up there?" She whispered.

Jaune was about to reply, when suddenly a dark shadow dropped silently over the edge, landing silently beside them.

"Oh! Blake. Uhhh..."

"We're watching this one." She said monotonously, before straightening up and moving toward the television.

Jaune chuckled softly to himself, and Pyrrha couldn't help herself any longer. She pushed herself up slightly, leaning in closer to Jaune. Closing her eyes, she pressed her cheek against his, nuzzling him gently.

Surprised by Pyrrha's sudden affection, he pulled away from her, twisting toward her as he did so. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized just how much she was leaning on him. Caught off guard by his sudden retreat, she was sent off balance. Tumbling down on top of him, her bodyweight pushed him onto his back on the bed as she landed on his chest.

"Uhh, sorry Jaune..." Pyrrha mumbled, placing her hands on either side of his head and pushing herself up so that she wasn't pressed against his body.

He stared up at her, and she could barely make out the dark tint flooding his cheeks.

The thought of removing herself occured to her, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. She wasn't uncomfortable here, straddling his waist.

"Pyrrha..." Her name was a whisper upon his lips, and her vivid green eyes strayed from his down to his slightly parted lips.

Her cheeks were burning now, whether from embarrassment, or the sudden movement, or the alcohol in her body, she wasn't quite sure. All she knew was...

She hadn't even realized she had been moving until their lips were inches apart. Letting her eyes slide closed, she leaned in closer, until...

"Whoaaaaaahhht are you two doing?"

The voice was close, and it jerked both Pyrrha and Jaune out of their thoughts. Pushing herself up so that she was sitting up straight, she let her hands fall to Jaune's tight stomach, trying not to let her fingers wander as she turned to face Yang.

"Yang! Uh... nothing?" The guilt in Pyrrha's voice was enough to give her away, just in case their compromising position wasn't.

Just then, the sound of a movie starting up filled the room, and Blake appeared from the shadows to stand next to the upside down Yang leaning over the edge of her bunk. Blake's gaze slid from Pyrrha and Jaune, to Yang, and back again without comment. Yang turned to her and grinned, despite her face beginning to resemble a cherry from all the blood rushing to her head.

"Hey Blakey, wann-"

She was abruptly silenced as Blake clamped a hand over her mouth, golden eyes narrowing.

"Finish that sentence and you'll live only long enough to regret it."

Yang nodded, and slowly pulled herself up to her bunk, disappearing out of sight. Blake sighed, then looked at her hand in disgust.

"Can't believe she licked me..." She muttered, wiping it on her pant leg. She cast one more glance to Pyrrha, who hadn't moved from her position, before shrugging. With one powerful, silent leap, she joined Yang on the top bunk.

Pyrrha slowly turned to look down at Jaune, only to find his gaze had never left her. Her face darkened at the prospect, and she mumbled a quick apology before making a move to get off him.

"Er, Pyrrha..."

She paused, reaching up to brush some hair from her eyes.

"Yes?"

"I wouldn't mind if you stayed... that is... if you don't mind." He said. He spread his arms in a welcoming gesture, and Pyrrha didn't even have to think about her answer.

"S-sure. If you don't mind, that is." She murmured, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"I don't."

Slowly, she laid back down until her head was on his chest, face burning with embarrassment despite the fact that the only ones who could see them were Ren and Nora across from them, and they seemed to preoccupied to care. Carefully straightening her lower body until she was comfortably between his legs, she put her arms around his waist and sighed in contentment as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, almost timidly.

The only thought that fluttered through her mind before she turned her gaze toward the television was, _'Fucking finally.'_


	15. Neopolitan and Cherry Ice Cream

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifteen: Neopolitan and Cherry Ice Cream_

* * *

Author's note: I'm just gonna say it, I love Neo. As much as I love Bumblebee, I also love the idea of Yang and Neo, because damnit, Neo is just so short and cute and... try to enjoy this. Technically Bumblebee, but not without a healthy dose of Baked Alaska. Love it or hate it, drop me a review, and let me know! Also, warning for indecent behavior.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to join us for breakfast?" Yang asked her partner once more, hand on the door handle to their dorm.

Blake shook her head, her raven tresses cascading around her shoulders at the motion.

"I'm okay, you guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves. I'm not hungry."

Yang opened the door with a sigh, letting Ruby and Weiss exit before her.

"Are you okay, Blake?" Yang asked softly, once she was sure the others were out of earshot.

"You haven't been eating at all the last few days. I'm getting worried about you."

Blake picked up a book, opening it to a thin, small bookmark. This was her way of indicating that she didn't want to talk. Settling back against her headboard, she lowered her head into her book.

"I'm fine, Yang. Just go."

Yang sighed at the dismissive, depressing behaviour, but honoured her partner's wishes. Flicking a lock of hair over her shoulder, she strode out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Blake stared at her book for a few minutes, waiting to make sure none of her teammates would return for a forgotten item as tears slowly welled in her eyes and blurred her vision. When she was sure they were gone for good and wouldn't return for a while, she slowly closed her book and set it aside as the tears finally slipped silently down her cheeks.

Squeezing her eyes closed, she let herself slide down the headboard until she was laying on her back. Slowly turning over onto her stomach, she laid her forehead on her arms and let the tears silently fall.

She wasn't alright. She hadn't eaten in days, the pain in her chest blocking out all sensation of hunger and desire to eat.

Her shoulders body trembled as she took deep, shuddering breaths, and she could feel her sheets getting damp with tears, but she didn't care. Still, she ground her teeth together, not making a sound as images of her partner flashed through her mind.

She had never been in love before, and if this is what it felt like, she never wanted to again.

Thoughts of Yang ran through her mind unbidden and unstoppable. The way the girl grinned at her cheekily as she prepared to let loose another terrible cat related pun that never ceased to make her smile, at least, on the inside.

Blake sniffled softly and squeezed her eyes closed tightly as she exhaled a shaky breath. She was a confused coward, she knew. All of these confusing, jumbling feelings running rampant through her yet when she thought of taking action and doing something about them, she froze up, unable to confront the beautiful blonde about how she felt.

She had tried a few times. Each time the mere thought of approaching Yang and telling her how she felt had her feeling sick to her stomach. It had built up to the point where she had missed classes, team practices, and meals.

Just another example of how good she was at running away when faced with something she couldn't handle.

Would Yang even want anything to do with a coward like her? They were opposites in so many ways, she wasn't sure if it could ever work.

She wasn't sure if Yang even liked her like that. Yet, the way Yang looked at her...

Her stomach fluttered nervously at the thought of Yang's mischievous gaze, her flirty grin always ready to make Blake's heart skip a beat.

It was almost laughable how much she desired her partner. Yet, when faced with the one thing she wanted most, here she was, laying in bed and crying about it.

A wretched laugh escaped her, quickly turning into a sob at how pathetic she was.

Yang...

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, and her head jerked up off her arms as she wiped quickly at her eyes. Brushing the tears away, she ran her fingers through her hair, which she was sure was a disheveled mess.

Standing up, her mind wandered at the possibilities of who could be at the door. One of her teammates, possibly? Yang?

Her heartbeat quickened at the thought of Yang coming back for her, or bringing her breakfast, but she was sure that wasn't the case. They all had access to the dorm with their scrolls, and if they were trying to be non-intrusive, it would be quieter to enter than to knock.

Coming to a stop before the door, she took one more deep breath. She held it for a second, before exhaling through her nose slowly. Blinking away the tears that remained in the corners of her eyes, she grabbed the door handle and twisted, swinging the door open.

"Hello?"

She blinked as she saw a small girl standing before her, no more than five feet tall. Blake blinked, her preoccupied mind taking a moment to realize who was standing before her.

The girl smiled coyly, tilting her head to the side and blinking. Her dark chocolate eyes disappeared behind her eyelids, and when she opened her eyes, her right eye was pink. She blinked again, and this time they were both a deep emerald green.

Blake's golden eyes widened as she realized who this girl was.

"N-Neo!?"

Before she could react, or utter another word, the girl stepped forward, hooking her left leg behind Blake's ankle and giving her shoulder a gentle, almost lazy shove. Blake stumbled backward, trying to regain her balance, but it was useless as Neo lifted her foot, still hooked around Blake's. With nothing to catch herself with, she stumbled backward and fell, landing hard on her back.

She winced in pain as her head slammed against the floor, but quickly banished the pain from her mind as she realized she had an enemy standing over top of her.

Where-

She looked around frantically, before realizing that her weapon was tucked under her bed.

Cursing softly to herself she tried to rise, but Neo simply stepped over her waist, straddling her before placing one foot on her chest and pushing her back down to the ground.

Blake winced, feeling the breath being forced from her lungs as Neo slowly applied more weight. It wasn't unbearable though, as the tiny, four foot nine girl couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds soaking wet.

Reaching for her foot, Blake tried to twist the girl off of her. The girl merely smiled down at her, piercing green eyes flashing to pink as she rested all of her weight on Blake's chest now, bringing up her other foot into the air as she balanced herself on Blake's chest.

Blake found herself unable to look away from those coy, seductive eyes as they changed color once more, this time mirroring Blake's own gaze with a brilliant gold. It was the last thing Blake saw before Neo reared her foot back, tensing all the muscles in her leg for just a second before kicking Blake under the chin, snapping her head back and blacking her out instantly.

* * *

Weiss stared at the dessert on her place with no small amount of dissatisfaction, contemplating the thirty seconds of joy she would feel scarfing it down versus how sick she would feel later for having done so. She didn't have a particularly high tolerance for sweets, and with that thought in mind, begrudgingly handed the plate containing two tarts and a small slice of pie off to Ruby.

Ruby squealed in delight, carefully placing the plate beside her own before digging into the remainder of her breakfast.

"Thanks Weiss!" She grinned, and Weiss merely rolled her eyes as she reached out with a napkin, wiping a smudge of food from Ruby's cheek.

"You should really get some table manners." Was her curt reply, before tuning into Yang and Pyrrha's conversation.

"-and I just don't understand what's wrong with her lately." Yang finished, moodily pushing her food around on her plate.

Pyrrha hummed softly, hands folded in her lap. She had finished breakfast some time ago, and had been on her way out of the cafeteria when she had caught sight of Yang's sour expression. Making a detour to sit at their table to find out what was wrong, she patiently listened as Yang explained her woes.

Pyrrha's presence had drawn Jaune, and that had drawn Ren and Nora. Now, they all sat together at the table, listening to Yang complain about her partner.

"Ooh, ooh, maybe Blake is pregnant!" Nora exclaimed, slamming her fists down on the table excitedly as she jumped up.

Ren raised a finger to protest, but was cut short by a fleeting thought. Hesitating for but a moment until he was sure, he carried on.

"Nora, I don't think that's the case."

Nora sat back down, crossing her arms over her chest.

Yang flashed Nora a look, although the hammer wielder didn't catch it.

Pyrrha hummed softly. "Has she given any other indication of what could be wrong?"

Yang was silent for a second, wracking her brain as she tried to think of any other clues.

"No," She spoke after a moment. "She's a pretty private person, the only one who would have any idea of what's wrong is that journal she wr-"

Her eyes widened and her head shot up as she got an idea, and it was the same idea everyone else at the table got.

"No, Yang. You cannot go through her journal." Pyrrha spoke softly, yet firmly.

Yang looked to Ren for confirmation, and he nodded solemnly. Her shoulders drooped, and she sighed exasperatedly.

"Maybe you should just talk to her. I'm sure she'll open up to her partner." Pyrrha offered as a last ditch attempt at a solution. "I know you've tried before, but maybe you need to be a little more direct with her."

Yang was about to protest, but she was interrupted by Jaune, who pointed across the room.

"Looks like you'll get your chance sooner than you thought. Here she comes."

All heads at the table turned to see Blake striding toward them, head held high and a confident, sexy smirk on her face. She didn't have her usual school attire on, instead she wore a pair of black short shorts, much like Yang's. Around her waist was a thin white strap, and fastened to it was a dark purple drapery that hung down off her left lip and dangled down to mid shin. Her midriff was visible as the only piece of clothing on her upper body was a black, long sleeved button down shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and the fabric clung tightly to her form as it curved over her body. Only two buttons were done up, both a third of the way down her shirt, right in front of her breasts. The two buttons above, and the rest below, were left undone to reveal much more skin than usual. Her normally wavy hair was razor straight, hanging down her back and over her shoulders in a messy fashion.

What really drew everyone's gaze, however, was the distinct lack of a ribbon in her hair. Her cat ears twitched freely at every sound, swiveling non stop at all the commotion in the cafeteria. Still, she made a beeline for her team's table.

It didn't take long for her to reach their table, and she came to a stop beside Yang.

Smirking down at the dumbfounded girl, she slowly bent at her waist, bringing her face close to Yang's. Staring into her surprised, lilac eyes, Blake's smirk widened ever so slightly.

Before Yang could react, Blake leaned forward, pressing her lips against Yang's.

There were a variety of surprised reactions from the group at the table, but Blake ignored them. Keeping the kiss short, she pulled away, baring her white fangs as she bit her lip.

"Come with me." Blake whispered, trailing her finger down Yang's shoulder and passing her fingers over her toned forearm before gripping her hand tightly.

Yang's breath caught in her throat as she looked around at her teammates and friends sitting around her.

Weiss was staring at Blake in disgust as she covered Ruby's eyes, and Jaune was pointedly looking away. Nora was smothering a giggle, and Ren was fussing with the food on his plate.

Lastly, Pyrrha who was sitting beside her, was looking away, presumably at Jaune.

Blake tugged on her hand, and Yang stood on suddenly shaky legs. Casting one more glance at her teammates, she turned and looked at Blake as she followed her out of the cafeteria.

* * *

Blake pushed Yang up against her door, kissing her passionately on the mouth even as her hand searched for the scanner, scroll in her hand. The scroll slammed against the wall a few times, before passing over the scanner. The beeping approval faint in her ears, Blake gripped Yang's shirt in her fists as she pushed the door open. They stumbled into the room, Yang stumbling backward and tripping over a pair of shoes left on the floor near the door. Falling backward, she landed roughly on her back, Blake giggling as she toppled onto the girl.

"B-Blake, stop, what are you-" Yang tried to speak as Blake kissed her neck, warm tongue tracing random trails down her throat.

"Mm, you don't like it?" Blake muttered, lips grazing her ear.

Yang shuddered, feeling Blake nibble on her earlobe.

"I... "

A breathy chuckle tickled her ear, and Yang closed her eyes as Blake's left hand landed on her chest, squeezing roughly.

"I don't hear you protesting, Yang." Blake whispered seductively.

Yang was rendered speechless as Blake's mouth found her throat once more, gently sucking as her teeth lightly scraped across her skin.

Yang brought her arms up, finding Blake's waist as she hesitantly ran her hands over Blake's curvy hips.

"Blake, why are you... doing this?"

Blake pulled away, rocking her hips suggestively as she straddled Yang. Sitting up straight, she smirked, hair falling down to cover one eye as it draped over her shoulder.

"If you don't like it, I'll stop." She whispered, biting her lip as she squeezed her shoulders together, pressing her breasts together.

Yang blinked, trying to gather her thoughts as she studied the girl on top of her in the darkened room.

"I... " She sighed, at a loss for words. What Blake was doing wasn't terrible, but... it didn't seem right.

Blake's golden eyes flashed, seemingly taking on a darkened hue as she blinked. When her eyes reopened however, they were once again a bright, deep golden pool of liquid desire.

"I've... wanted you for a long time, Yang." Blake whispered, leaning down and kissing her gently on the lips. Yang moaned in response, pushing her lips against Blake's as she felt overwhelming desire build within her.

"So just close your eyes, and let me show you how badly I want you."

Yang sighed and closed her eyes as Blake's hands caressed her throat, her raven hair falling over her shoulder and mixing with the blonde strands on the floor.

Golden eyes briefly flashed pink in undisguised pleasure as Blake leaned down once more, kissing gently along Yang's jaw until she reached her ear. Nibbling gently on her earlobe once more, her hands found Yang's wrists and pinned them above her head. Pinning her wrists down with one hand, Blake shifted her weight to her right leg, partially sliding off Yang.

Using her left hand, she gently slid her fingers down Yang's body, the blonde trembling on the floor beneath her grip. Finding the waistband of Yang's black shorts, she gently slipped her fingertips underneath.

Yang's hips twitched as Blake's fingers edged ever downward, her breathing coming faster and shorter in anticipation.

A soft giggle emanated from Blake, and a fleeting feeling passed through Yang's stomach, triggering her ever-heightened instincts. She once again got the feeling that something wasn't right, but damn... Blake's touch was blanking out her mind.

Another quiet, unnerving giggle, and Yang opened her eyes as Blake's hands slipped down between her legs.

"Hnngh... Blake..."

Blake turned to Yang, golden eyes muted in the dim light of the room. Leaning down close to Yang's face, she smirked playfully.

"Yes... Yang?" She asked quietly. Blinking slowly, she opened her eyes, revealing one brown and one pink eye.

Confusion appeared on Yang's face for just a second, before recognition sparked in her opalescent lilac eyes.

Eyes widening, she immediately began thrashing in Blake's grip, trying to free herself.

Blake laughed, grip tightening on Yang's wrists. Dropping her illusion, her black hair faded to pink, brown, and white. Her heterochromatic eyes flashed wildly as she blinked, grinning down at Yang.

Yang's breath quickened as she realized what a vulnerable position she was in. Trying to twist out of Neo's grip, she kicked her legs as she tried to throw the girl off her.

Neo tilted her head slowly, staring down at the struggling girl beneath her. A sly smile overtook her blank expression, and she slowly closed her eyes. When she reopened them, her chocolate brown iris had turned pink. Staring down at Yang's flushed face with two brilliantly pink eyes, she removed her hand from Yang's shorts and reached out to gently stroke her cheek.

Yang angrily twisted away from her touch, and with a burst of angry energy, twisted her right arm out of Neo's grip. Immediately, she threw her clenched fist at Neo's face, but the girl simply swayed to the side, dodging the swing. She released Yang's other wrist, and pushed away from the girl, rising to her feet.

Yang leapt to her feet, cheeks flushed at the violation of her body. Anger coursing through her, a quick jerk of her arms brought her beloved Ember Celica sliding down her wrists, rotating into position as she chambered a round.

Moreso for show, though, she thought, as it would be unwise to fire off rounds inside their dorm.

Striding up to the short girl, she stopped inches from her. It was almost comical, their difference in height, and Yang would have laughed if she weren't so infuriated.

Glaring down at the girl, Yang's eyes faded to a dim, glowing red as she clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth together at the enraging sight of Neo smiling so demurely up at her.

Yang was about to rear her arm back and swing with all her might at the girl, when Neo leaned up on her tiptoes, clasping her arms behind her back and gently placing a kiss on Yang's lips. Yang temporarily froze, unsure what to do.

Neo settled back down onto the balls of her feet after a moment, tilting her head from the right to the left as she blinked, eyes changing once again as one turned green, and the other turned blue. Still, that coy smile never left her face.

The fact that Neo had been completely silent since dropping her disguise was not lost on Yang, and Yang briefly wondered if the girl was mute, somehow only able to talk through her ability to copy the forms of other people.

Deciding that it didn't matter, Yang swung her fist at Neo. The deft girl ducked under the strike, not an unexpected move given her short stature. Half hoping the girl would duck, Yang was ready, bringing her knee up in a vicious strike aimed for her face.

Neo simply twisted to the side, using her hand to push Yang's knee to the side, unbalancing her.

Yang nearly lost her balance as Neo pushed her knee to the side, but she brought her leg down and planted it firmly as she twisted into a tornado kick, aiming her heel for the girl's face.

She growled in frustration as the girl took a half step back, leaning backward at the waist to narrowly avoid the strike.

Yang wasted no time in advancing into a flurry of fist strikes, advancing toward the girl as she dodged and ducked under and around every strike Yang could throw at her.

Frustration growing, Yang couldn't understand why the girl wouldn't strike back. Her semblance was useless if she wasn't going to be struck.

It didn't take long until Neo was pressed against the closed door, but that sly smile never wavered as she let her gaze melt back to chocolate brown and pink.

Yang knew that this might be her chance, and she shuffled closer, closing the distance between them as she jabbed at Neo with her left hand, her right hand cocked and ready to throw a wild haymaker.

Neo seemed to wait until the last possible second before evading, sliding to the side and delivering a swift kick to Yang's leg as she stumbled forward. Yang's fist connected with the door, and it exploded into splinters as she lost her balance, stumbling through the new opening in her room.

Spinning around, Yang raised her fists as she came face to face with a silent, unexpectedly imposing opponent.

"Stop dodging and fight back, you little-!" Yang's breath caught in her throat as Neo darted forward faster than Yang thought possible, closing the distance between them in an instant. Throwing a wild swing at Neo's head, Yang was seeing red as her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

Swiftly, Neo raised her left arm and blocked the wild strike, her hand gripping Yang's wrist and rendering her immobile with a strength that seemed to rival Yang's.

Yang's eyes widened as Neo's hand closed around her Ember Celica, and as she tried to pull away, she found that Neo's grip was rock solid.

Keeping her heterochromatic eyes locked solidly on Yang's red tinted gaze, she carefully leaned in and brought Yang's hand up to her face. Placing a gentle kiss on Yang's palm, she smirked at the enraged expression that twisted Yang's features. Releasing her grip on Yang's wrist, she immediately ducked under the strike she had anticipated.

Still, that infuriatingly coy smile never left her face.

Aware that Ember Celica would still do more harm than good, Yang was reduced to physical strikes as she threw two more punches and a swift kick in rapid succession. The punches were a wash, but the kick connected with the side of Neo's right leg, causing her to dip, smile temporarily disappearing from her face for the first time. She blinked, and her chocolate and pink eyes faded to an icy blue.

Encouraged by the mild success, Yang was about to press the attack, when a familiar voice reached her ears as footsteps grew louder from down the hall.

"YANG!"

Yang turned to look at the owner of the familiar voice, and her eyes widened as she saw a bloodied Blake running toward her, hands devoid of her familiar weapon.

"B-Blake-!"

Blake closed the distance between them rapidly, leaping into the air and rearing back her fist as she aimed a punch at Neo. Neo sidestepped quickly, throwing an almost lazy kick at Blake. The strike connected with Blake's ribs, but too late Neo realized it was naught but an illusion as Blake disappeared in a distorted flash. Neo whirled around, realizing Yang was behind her now, as she searched for Blake as well.

It wasn't a second later after her illusion was dispelled that Blake appeared in the shattered doorway, Gambol Shroud now comfortably in her hand. It hadn't taken long to retrieve it from under her bed, and now she glared angrily at Neo, dried blood on her chin and throat.

Blake clenched her teeth and a gutteral growl erupted from her throat as she whipped her weapon toward Neo, and Yang stepped to the side to better position herself near her opponent.

Gambol Shroud whipped toward Neo with deadly accuracy, and without her umbrella, Yang was sure that it would be a solid hit.

She couldn't be more wrong though, as Neo turned to her and winked, a saucy grin overtaking her features as she leapt backward, bringing a hand to her lips and blowing Yang a kiss as she disappeared in a flash of light.

Gambol Shroud hit the wall just behind the space Neo had occupied seconds before, and clattered to the floor. Yang blinked in disbelief, red eyes fading to lilac as Blake came to a stop beside her, retrieving her weapon with a swift jerk of her wrist. Sliding it into the sheath on her back, she slammed her fist into the wall angrily as she realized Neo had escaped once more.

"Blake, are you okay? What happened?" Yang raised her arms and twisted her wrists. With a practiced jerk of her arms, Ember Celica retracted into a stowed position higher up on her forearms. Placing her hands on Blake's shoulders, she pulled her partner close.

Blake looked around with wide eyes, making sure that Neo was well and truly gone before turning to her partner and inhaling deeply.

"Yang, I'm fine. What happened to you?"

Yang realized that Blake was close-incredibly close now-, and for some reason she couldn't handle staring into those piercing, searching golden orbs. Looking away, she removed her hands from Blake's shoulders and rubbed her arms nervously.

"N-nothing happened, really." She muttered. Blake was standing close enough to her that she could hear Blake's disbelieving hum, but thankfully Blake didn't push the issue, seemingly satisfied that Yang was physically unharmed.

They were both quiet for a moment, each alone with their thoughts, before Blake reached out and put her hand on Yang's shoulder.

"Yang."

Yang raised her head and forced herself to make eye contact with Blake, a torrent of emotions running through her head.

"Yeah?"

Blake hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. Her eyes flicked down to the ground before she inhaled deeply, and when she had exhaled slowly, her gaze slowly raised to meet Yang's.

"Can we go somewhere private to talk? I have something important to tell you."

Yang heard the nervous tremor in Blake's voice, and her eyes pulled away from that enticing golden stare to fall upon the shredded remains of their dorm door.

"Can we... just talk in here?" Yang asked. "We really shouldn't leave our room open like this."

Blake glanced inside, and silently cursed. She had been hoping for a further destination than that, in an attempt to get her thoughts straight, but she could see the logic in Yang's request.

Ignoring the nervous twisting in the pit of her stomach, she ran her hand through her long raven tresses before nodding. Stepping carefully over the mess in the hallway, she grabbed Yang's hand and pulled her into the room.

Yang followed her dutifully, trying to forget what had happened the last time "Blake" had dragged her into this room.

When they reached the center of the room Blake released her hand and turned to face her.

Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes for a moment as she gathered her thoughts.

Yang waited patiently, taking this time to study Blake's flawless skin and cute little nose.

Almost too soon, Blake's eyes slid open, and she fixed Yang with that gaze that seemed to take her breath away.

"I have something really important to tell you, so listen carefully, okay Yang?"

* * *

Sooo... Yang and Neo. I can ship that.


	16. Silently I Wander

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 16: Silently I Wander_

 _White Rose_

* * *

Time itself meant nothing to those who didn't fear it's passage. Not that she was unaware of the passing of time; in fact, she was all too painfully aware. She was aware of just how much she had lost to the unending flow of time, and just how much more she had to lose. How much she would inevitably lose. But she didn't fear it. She had no reason to.

It had made her cold and distant, hatred and scorn replacing the warmth and love that had filled her life years ago. So many years ago. Almost too many to count, too many to be worth remembering.

Yet she remembered. Nearly nine hundred years ago, although it may as well have been yesterday.

Raising a small tea cup to her lips, she took a sip of chamomile tea, barely tasting it as she swallowed the hot liquid.

Her unreadable mask suddenly twisted in anger as her eyebrows furrowed, a frown replacing the neutral expression upon her face. She hated remembering. She wished she could forget those days long, long past. Yet she knew she never would, for as long as she lived.

That thought brought a hollow smile to her face, the emotion not reaching her icy blue eyes as she looked, but didn't see. Her eyes glazed over as she found herself unwillingly lost in a memory from long, long ago...

* * *

 _It was a period of peace. The sun shone brightly high in the sky on what was one of many countless summer days, the heat warm and inviting, but not unbearable. It was midday, and a beautiful, yet remarkably short, silver-haired girl wandered aimlessly through a field far from home. She smiled to herself as she raised her face to the sun, closing her eyes. She wandered aimlessly, for she was in no rush._

 _She had all the time in the world._

 _Exploring this vast world was the one thing she loved the most. It held so many secrets she was dying to uncover, and the people she had met along the way were no small part of that experience._

 _Yet there was one individual who seemed to capture her attention more than anyone else had in her life._

 _At the edge of the field was a thick forest, and it was here that she stopped, staring at the dark foliage. Her piercing blue eyes took in every trembling leaf, every swaying tree as the breeze blew through the forest, and it wasn't long before she spotted a disturbance that wasn't caused by the rustling wind._

 _A figure brushed aside some leaves as it ducked under a particularly low branch, stepping slowly but surely across the forest floor as it moved toward the edge of the forest._

 _It came no further, stopping at the edge where the sun was blocked by the towering trees above._

 _Arms slowly raised, pushing back a faded, dark red hood. Icy blue eyes warmed as a smile graced her face. The hood was pushed back to reveal a slightly taller girl with dark brown hair that hung to her shoulders, unruly in it's nature. Looking up at the girl standing in the sunlight, silver-red eyes- almost a copper, really- blinked inquisitively up at the sunlit silver-haired girl._

 _"You came back." The girl spoke it as a statement, not a question as warmth seemed to pool in her silvery-red eyes._

 _The girl with the silver-white hair nodded wordlessly. Raising her hands, she gestured crudely. First to herself with the pointer finger of her left hand, then raising both hands and placing them over her heart on her chest. Tilting her head to the side, she gestured out with both hands toward the girl in front of her, palms turned to the sky._

 _The girl that stood embraced by the darkness of the forest laughed, a clear, beautiful sound that rang through the forest and echoed off the trees._

 _"I came here for you as well. I missed your company."_

 _A light tinge touched the cheeks of the girl standing in the sunlight, and she nodded silently. Stepping closer to the sunlit divide that separated them, she reached out across that intangible boundary, hands seeking the girl in front of her._

 _The girl in the shadows mirrored her movements, until they met as one, embracing each other tightly along the forest's divide._

 _It lasted a while; neither said anything as they embraced, enjoying the feeling of each other's company._

 _When they finally separated, the girl enveloped in shadows grinned widely, baring pure white fangs at the girl._

 _The silver-haired girl reached out and playfully ruffled her unruly hair, messing it up further. The red-robed girl didn't seem to mind, however, as she leaned into the touch._

* * *

Anger twisted her features into an ugly mask as the girl slammed her fists down on the table, rattling her cup and sloshing the liquid inside. She pushed herself away from the table, chair legs screeching across the floor in protest. Standing, she ran her fingers through her snow white hair as she turned to face the side window of the near empty coffee shop, gazing out forlornly at the concrete sidewalks and asphalt streets that had replaced her beloved forest as she pointedly ignored the looks she had drawn from the other few occupants.

Her face slowly fell into a facade of incredible sadness as she remembered once more that time would flow imperiously onward, carrying her with it even as she struggled against the tide. Nothing she could do would turn back the hands of time, nothing would give her back those fleeting precious moments of peace and serenity, and she could do nothing but grind her teeth together in frustration at the hopelessness and futility of it all.

She hadn't been completely idle with all of those unending, immortal years that had cursed her under the guise of grace. She had built a large, successful renewable resources energy company, determined to fight any way she could against the destruction of the beloved planet she was doomed- or blessed?- to roam for eternity. It had been an uphill battle at first, but now, riding the wave into the twenty-first century, more and more people got behind her company and their new, innovative products.

Yet the sense of accomplishment was hollow in her chest. It would be a long time yet before she truly made any sort of difference, and yet she knew full well she was living in a past she could never return to. She knew there was no chance she would ever get back that forest she loved so much. It was gone, flattened into a concrete prison that kept her chained to her present reality.

She bit her lip harshly, reveling in the pain that coursed through her body. It wasn't a nice feeling, she thought, but it felt better than feeling nothing at all. Darkened eyes stared out at the gently drizzling rain that mirrored the feelings in her chest, and she couldn't help but think how fitting it was.

* * *

 _She had returned nearly daily. With nothing to do and no one to answer to, the silver-haired girl spent as much time as she wanted waiting by the forest's edge for her mysterious friend. She still didn't know her name, despite having spent quite a significant amount of time now with her. She smiled silently to herself as she switched her basket to her other hand. Maybe today, she would find out._

 _It was as if her shadow-bound friend could smell her. Within ten minutes of approaching the forest, the girl appeared silently through the leaves, a spectre emerging from the darkness and cautiously approaching the light._

 _Today, she bore no concealing hood. Her hair was slightly less messy, and her outfit appeared to have gone through a grooming attempt. Her ragged excuse for a shirt, missing both sleeves, looked like it had recently taken an icy bath in a river somewhere, and the knee-length ripped and torn shorts that she wore seemed to be slightly less dirty and wrinkled._

 _The girl grinned happily at her, elongated canines more pronounced than the sun-bound girl had ever seen on any human before._

 _The blue-eyed girl smiled happily in return before wordlessly placing the basket between them, flipping open it's wicker top. Reaching inside, she withdrew a carefully prepared meat sandwich, presenting it to the shade-bound girl sitting beside her._

 _The girl looked at it cautiously, then her coppery gaze flicked up to meet icy blue, uncertainty plastered across her features._

 _Blue eyes dipped slightly as she nodded, silently extending her arm a bit further in offering._

 _Tentatively the brown-haired girl reached out, their fingers brushing against each other as the shadow-bound girl took care not to drop the offered treat. Raising it to her nose, she took a tentative sniff before perking up excitedly. Taking a large bite, she no sooner tasted it than devoured it, swiftly picking up pieces that fell into her lap as if she hadn't eaten a day in her life._

 _The girl sitting on the forest's edge raised her face to the sun and closed her eyes, smiling as the image of her peculiar friend burned against her eyelids._

 _Right, her name..._

 _Turning to the girl, a wide smile spread across her face as she realized that bits of food were stuck to her cheeks. Reaching into her basket, she carefully withdrew a soft cloth. Reaching out, she carefully brushed the crumbs and bits of meat from the careless eater's face. The girl leaned into the touch, closing her eyes._

 _When she pulled away, the girl straightened up from where she had been leaning into the touch. Opening her eyes, she fixed the sunlit girl with her fiery copper gaze._

 _Replacing the cloth in the basket, she withdrew two new items, a piece of parchment paper and a quill. Setting them down carefully on the ground, she withdrew one more item, a small vial of ink. Uncapping it with the utmost care, she set it beside her paper as she picked up her writing tool. Dipping it ever so slightly into the ink, she dabbed it off before carefully placing quill tip to parchment. With neat, even strokes, she wrote out her question._

 _'What is your name?'_

 _Satisfied with her handiwork, she carefully laid down the quill before picking up the scratchy, off-white parchment and turning it to face the curious girl at her side._

 _The girl took the parchment with one hand, using her other to brush her hair back out of her eyes. Examining the fresh black streaks with curious, dark eyes, it was a moment before she shrugged, turning to look at the white-haired girl with obvious sadness in her eyes. Gesturing to the parchment, she spoke quietly._

 _"I can't read; I'm sorry. I can barely speak the language, but writing... I never picked it up."_

 _The silver haired girl felt like laughing and crying at the same time. A girl who couldn't read and a girl who couldn't speak. What a fine pair they made._

 _Instead of laughing or crying, she settled for shrugging her shoulders. Taking a moment to gather up her writing instruments, her mind whirled with any possible way to ask her question._

 _When they were placed safely back in her basket and the basket was moved so that it was no longer separating them, she scooted a little closer to the shadowy line that separated forest from field. Icy blue eyes searching around her, she spotted a broken twig lying not to far away. Leaning forward, she picked it up carefully and held it in her hands, turning to the girl and holding it up between them._

 _The girl cocked an eyebrow in response, coppery eyes shining with amusement._

 _"What about it?" She asked. "It's a stick."_

 _Icy blue eyes lit up with happiness as she dropped the item, clapping her hands before pointing at the girl and giving her a thumbs up. Eyes frantically searching the ground for something else, she picked up a blade of grass, holding it gingerly between her fingers. Hopeful blue eyes met now-confused copper, yet she didn't back down._

 _"Uhh...grass. What... are you... ?"_

 _Another clap of happiness, blue eyes widening at how easily this seemed to be going. One more item should solidify the connection, she thought. Looking around once more, she picked up her basket by the handle, lofting it between them. Pointing at it with her free hand, she upturned her palm in a questioning gesture._

 _"Basket?" Copper eyes regarded her carefully now, as if she had lost her mind._

 _Blue eyes danced as the girl nodded vigorously. Then she paused, closing her eyes as she folded her hands in her lap. After a moment, she opened them, and stared at her friend. Gesturing to her, she made the same, 'What is it?' gesture she had made earlier._

 _"What are you... trying to ask me?" Confusion flitted across her face as she tried to think of a connection between the three items. Picking up a stick and a blade of grass, she held them out to the girl basking in the sunlight, raising an eyebrow._

 _"Something to do with these items?"_

 _Sunlight danced in the girl's eyes as she hesitated, before slowly shaking her head. She reached out and took the items from her hands, setting them aside. Taking the thoroughly confused girl's hands in her own, she raised them up in a questioning gesture, staring into her eyes as she willed her question to be known._

 _Copper stared into blue as the girl thought about what she was trying to ask. They narrowed in confusion, before her head tilted to the side, an eyebrow raising slightly._

 _"Name?" She asked, voice uncertain._

 _Icy eyes seemed to reflect the bluest of blue skies as she nodded vigorously, pointing at the girl in front of her with two fingers, lest the connection be lost._

 _"My name?" The girl asked, pointing at herself._

 _Another vigorous nod, a happy grin replacing the victorious smile._

 _"Ahh." The girl nodded, finally understanding._

 _"My name is Rose." She said softly, tilting her head to the side and smiling happily at the sun-clad girl. "What's yours?"_

* * *

She hadn't been able to tell her. She didn't have a name, and even if she did, she was a prisoner inside her own mind. Unable to speak, and unable to communicate with anyone who couldn't write, she was an audience of one to the thoughts that strolled through her mind.

She was unsure if she had ever been given a name. She couldn't remember much before she had been... created. A girl destined to die by the bite of a beowulf instead bound to eternal life by the experimental procedure designed to save her. She shuddered as she suppressed those memories, another depressing memorial trip for another day.

She couldn't remember what she had been called before she had found herself on death's doorstep, bleeding out all over the ground from a vicious bite wound to the throat. It was as if all memories prior to her immortal rebirth were wiped, including those of whatever family she might have had, and whatever they might have called her.

Honestly, there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't curse the mage that had found her, cursing him to the pits of hell and back again for interfering and not just letting her _die_ , damnit-! Instead he had saved her, and at the same time, condemned her to this hellish existence she sought to escape from. True, she wouldn't have met that girl- Rose, her name was- but the feeling that tore through her chest at the mere thought of her name made her wonder if she would have been better off dead, not meeting her at all.

Tears sprung unbidden to the corners of her eyes, and she didn't notice when they began trailing silently down her cheeks, tracing curved paths down her flawless skin to her jawline, where they fell to the floor.

Icy eyes remained hard and unwavering as they became damp with tears, but she made no move to wipe them away, instead ignoring them as if they weren't even there. How very appropriate, this rainfall.

* * *

 _It had been almost an hour since she had sat down on the edge of the forest, and although she was a bit later than usual, they didn't really have any set meeting time. Unbound by such thoughts as time and schedule, they just seemed to find each other when the other needed to be found. She was still convinced that the shadowy, elusive, mystery forest girl could smell her; it was the only possible explanation, unless she always sat at the edge of the forest, watching and waiting for her friend to approach._

 _Somehow, she doubted that was the case._

 _Sighing in discontent, she slowly rose to her feet, stretching out her muscles. If the girl wouldn't come to her, it couldn't hurt to go on a short jaunt to look for her._

 _Casting her gaze to the fiery sun low on the horizon, she raked her fingers through her silvery hair, pulling it back out of her face as she took a cautious step into what seemed to be another world._

 _Darkness shrouded her. At least, that's what it felt like. Sunlight had a hard time penetrating the protective canopy of leaves and branches high overhead, and she felt the temperature drop slowly but steadily the further into the forest she ventured._

 _It wasn't long before she stumbled upon what seemed to be a game trail. A narrow trail slicing through the undergrowth that seemed well worn and frequently used. Maybe even as recently as today._

 _She made a mental note to remember which direction the edge of the forest was, then set out, slowly meandering along the narrow path as she took in the sights, smells, and sounds of the forest._

 _It truly was another world tucked away on Earth. The forest floor was damp beneath her feet, the smell of dirt and plants tickling her nose as a gentle breeze tickled the trees overhead._

 _Small animals rustled in the undergrowth, fleeing at the sound and scent of her approach._

 _She didn't fear any creature in this forest, given her... unique set of circumstances. There was nothing her that could stand a chance at defeating her, and she walked unfazed through the forest, taking in every sight she could lay eyes on._

 _The sights were one thing, but the sounds... She tuned her ears to the forest as she realized the sounds had stopped. In fact, she couldn't hear anything except the grass tickling her legs as she walked, and it made her feel slightly uneasy as she realized even the birds had stopped singing._

 _Reminding herself that she had nothing to fear except fear itself, she plodded on, wondering just where her friend could be._

 _The nervousness in her stomach grew, an uneasy, sinking feeling growing in her stomach with every step she took._

 _She half considered turning around, but knew that nothing would make this feeling go away. Something wasn't right._

 _Her pace picked up a bit, and she ignored the tree branches that clawed at her clothing, scratching at her exposed skin even as blades of grass and leaves tickled her legs. Pushing aside a low bush that had overgrown into the path, she stepped into a small clearing, and her eyes grew wide as bile rose in her throat._

 _The overwhelming scent of blood and entrails reached her nose, and she swallowed dryly as she laid eyes on a wide streak of blood that was half dried upon the ground. Following it to the base of a tree, she inhaled sharply as a familiar figure took shape in the semi-darkness._

 _There, tied to the base of a tree with her throat slit and her stomach disemboweled, was her friend, Rose._

 _Disbelieving eyes flicked around the clearing, and she realized something was carved into the tree above Rose's head. Taking a step closer, her eyes focused on the knife marks in the bark._

 _'Here lies the half demon spawn of a beowulf and a human-rest in discord wretched heathen'_

* * *

Her eyes unfocused on the dreary scene outside the coffee shop window, instead focusing on the slight reflection of herself in the glass. Her icy blue eyes were devoid of any trace of warmth, and she could just barely make out the tear trails cutting down her skin.

Reaching up to wipe them away with the back of her hand, she looked away as she sat back down. Pulling her cup of tea close, she wrapped her hands around the delicate porcelain cup and absorbed the warmth as her mind cast back to her long lost friend.

At the time, it was hard to know if it was love. It was impossible to know what it could have flourished into, given how cruelly they were separated. Now, there was no doubt that it was love. She ground her teeth together, feeling the pain in her jaw increase as she willed herself not to cry anymore. Her fingers tightened around the tea cup, and it trembled in her grasp.

It was almost laughable, she thought. How quickly and easily she had been taken with the wild, carefree girl. She had never met anyone like her. The girl seemed interested in her, but only in getting to know her. Never once did she ask for a favor or for her to do anything. The shadowy forest girl retained a keen interest in her, and was always happy to spend time with her.

There was no doubt, it was love. Her heart ached every day for the girl she had buried in that forest.

Her breathing was choppy now, as she tried to bite back her sobs. It wouldn't do well to break down crying in the coffee shop. She was stronger than that, at least.

Trembling hands raised the tea cup to thin lips, and she took another sip. Finding minuscule amounts of comfort in the distraction of the hot liquid in her mouth, she cautiously allowed her thoughts to continue down the dark path.

She hadn't known. She hadn't known that the forest girl was a half demon. Hadn't known, and wouldn't have cared if she had. It was one of the first, and cruelest injustices she had ever witnessed, and although she had seen many dark things in her years afterward, nothing had ever had the impact on her that losing her first and closest friend had.

It felt like a part of her soul was missing. Not one for dramatization, it had taken her a while to come to terms with how strongly she had felt for the girl. It felt like her heart had been torn from her chest and slashed to pieces.

Closing her eyes tightly against a new onslaught of tears, she pushed away the images of Rose's body in the embrace of death. That was not how she wanted to remember her.

Sniffling, she considered making a trip to the bathroom to dry her eyes. It wouldn't be unwise, she thought, as she slowly stood. Taking one more sip of tea before setting the cup down, she wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped away from the table.

It felt like she had been alone for an eternity, she thought darkly, as she stepped toward the women's bathroom.

She only had eternity left to go.

She grimaced angrily at the dark thought as she placed her hand on the handle for the women's restroom. She gave the door an angry tug, and it flew open with unexpected force as if pushed open at the same moment from the other side.

Icy blue eyes widened as a brown-haired girl stumbled forward at the unexpected opening of the door, falling into hastily outstretched arms as the weight she had been resting on the door suddenly had nothing to support it.

A step was taken backward in an attempt to balance herself as she awkwardly caught the slightly taller girl in her arms, and she blinked the remainder of the tears from her eyes as she found herself looking down into an oddly familiar shade of silvery-red.

"S-sorry!" The girl mumbled, hastily pulling back and righting herself as she straightened out her dark red pullover sweater. Reaching up and running her fingers through reddish-brown hair, her eyes darkened into a coppery color as embarrassment tinted her cheeks.

"I wasn't expecting anyone to wrench the door open from the other side as I was leaning on it." She explained, a wry smile curving the corners of her lips.

Icy blue eyes could do nothing but stare in silence at the girl in front of her, mouth opening and closing wordlessly as she struggled to understand what she was seeing.

"Oh! Forgive my lack of manners." The girl quickly perked up, sticking her hand out in greeting.

"My name is Ruby. Ruby Rose. It's nice to meet you!"

There was silence in response as the shorter, white-haired girl reached out to shake the hand, surprised to see that her own was trembling nervously. When she released the hand, she gestured to her mouth, before signing a few quick words, indicating that she was mute. Another gesture at her throat, where a barely visible scar reminded her of what was the worst moments of her life.

"Oh, you're... oh. OH!" Recognition flashed in those beautiful, enticing, entrancing copper eyes, before they lit up with excitement.

"It's okay, I've been learning ASL!" She exclaimed, grabbing the shorter girl's hand and dragging her to a table near the back of the coffee shop.

"C'mere, let me practice on you!"

Icy blue eyes could only stare in disbelief at what seemed to be a carbon copy of her long lost friend, and for a fleeting moment, she wondered if her broken heart and shattered soul had the slightest chance of healing and making the next thousand years not quite so meaningless and cold.

* * *

Author's note: Well, this didn't turn out at all how I intended, but for now, I'm happy with it. Possible rewrite for this one in the future, and while it will serve fine as a standalone, I really, really, want to redo this one. Possibly with Bumblebee? Only time will tell. Drop me a review and let me know what you think!


	17. Don't Be So Catty! Part One

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 17: Don't Be So Catty!_

 _Part 1 of 2_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

"So, what's the plan for the weekend, guys?" Yang asked, running her fingers through her blonde locks as she hummed softly to herself under her breath.

All four of them were currently walking back toward their dorms, and Ruby shrugged as she popped another piece of pocky into her mouth.

"Mmm... we could go into town and catch a movie." She offered, the chocolate covered biscuit swishing side to side as she deftly maneuvered it around her mouth with the tip of her tongue.

Weiss watched Ruby from the corner of her eye, secretly entertained by the way the girl couldn't even keep her food still while she ate.

"Ooh! Something action-y! That would just be... " Her gaze slid to her partner who was keeping stride beside her, nose for once not buried in a book. Yang sighed. It was instead buried in the screen of her scroll.

"...The cat's meow."

A subtle twitch of Blake's bow and an exasperated sigh was the only clue Blake gave that she had heard Yang's terrible pun, as she otherwise ignored the girl.

"Yaaaang." Surprisingly, the whine came from Weiss, who was usually neutral when it came to Yang's puns.

"What? That one wasn't even forced!" Yang defended, holding her hands up in the air.

"Yeah, but you've been tearing into Blake all day. I won't stop her if she decides to smother you in your sleep, you know."

"Pssh. Please, that's im-paws-ible, and you know it."

Ruby laughed outright at that one, a short, barking laugh that ended in a quiet snort. Weiss tried to stifle her laughter at Ruby's reaction, instead schooling her face into a mask of sternness.

"Yang!"

Blake waved a hand, looking up from her scroll for a moment.

"Thanks Weiss, but it's fine. She'll get what's coming to her sooner or later."

Yang raised an eyebrow, folding her arms behind her head as she glanced sidelong at her partner.

"Yeah, you're a threatening kitty, fur sure."

There was silence for a moment as the three of them exchanged unreadable glances, and Yang couldn't resist one more pun as they reached their door.

"At the very least, you're gonna need help taking me down. I know Nora would be glad to help, why don't you... collar?"

Blake muttered a soft curse under her breath as she shook her head half in bewilderment and half in amazement.

"I'm just kitten around." Yang grinned, before laughing quietly at herself. "Man, I'm on fire today."

"How did you live with that, Ruby?" Weiss asked conversationally, as she moved toward the fridge. Swinging the door open, she retrieved a cold bottle of sparkling water.

Ruby reached in past Weiss before she could close the door, and pulled out a small plastic tray of strawberries. Nodding to Weiss that she could close the door, she straightened up and moved toward the counter. Hopping up on it, she swung her legs back and forth idly as she popped a strawberry into her mouth. Biting down on the cold fruit, she took a moment to savour it before responding.

"She was never this bad." She finally replied, fixing her older sister with a mock concerned gaze. "I don't know what's gotten into her."

Yang could barely contain herself as she looked around, making sure everyone could hear her.

"If I really tried, I'm sure I could shut my meowth. But holding my sharp tongue is a little rough."

"Fucking hell, Yang." Blake muttered, raising her gaze from her scroll to fix Yang with an amazed look. Her mouth was partially open as an amused grin overtook her face, and she ran her pink tongue over her teeth slowly, contemplating what was driving her partner to act so ridiculous.

"Hey, don't you bare your yangs at me." Yang quipped, clicking her tongue and winking at her partner.

"Ohhhhkay, that one was actually terrible. Please stop." Her younger sister groaned, tossing another strawberry into the air before catching it between her teeth.

Yang dismissed her sister with a wave, turning to her partner with a near predatory grin on her face.

"Say, Blake, where do you keep your school uniform on the weekends when you're not using it, anyway?"

Blake fixed her with a guarded stare, unsure of how obvious the answer was. Slowly she raised a hand, pointing at the double doors near the bathroom.

"In the closet?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yang chuckled, sitting down on the corner of Blake's bed.

"Heh... claws-it... "

Blake sighed softly to herself as she leaned back against her headboard, once again replacing her field of view with her scroll.

There was silence for a few moments as Weiss sipped on her water, Ruby ate her strawberry snack, Blake stared at her scroll, and Yang stared at Blake. Then, out of nowhere, golden eyes found lilac as the scroll was slowly lowered.

"Yang, have you ever owned a cat?" She asked slowly, garnering the attention of the other half of team RWBY.

Yang was jerked from her thoughts, and she blinked twice before shaking her head.

"No," She admitted, "But I've always wanted one."

Blake grinned dangerously. "Well, consider today to be your lucky day."

Yang raised any eyebrow. "Well, that doesn't sound _too_ much like a veiled threat to smother me while I sleep, so really, how nervous should I be?"

Blake shrugged, licking her lips. "Guess you'll find out." Was her lazy reply.

Yang copied Blake's shrug, seeming to grow bored of her game. Getting off the bed, she swiftly unstrapped her weapons, taking off her beloved Ember Celica and laying them on the desk.

Blake was right behind her, sliding off her bed, book forgotten as she reached up and untied the ribbon around her ears. Letting it slip from her grasp to the floor in an uncharacteristic display of messiness, her ears twitched freely in celebration of her freedom.

She trailed behind Yang, eyes fixated on the girl's hair as she came to a stop near the desk that Yang had just deposited her weapons on.

Yang moved toward her sister, stopping near the counter as she plucked a strawberry from Ruby's plastic container. Popping it into her mouth, she turned and leaned against the counter. Eyes falling to her partner, she spotted Blake standing idly by the desk, eyeing her up with her playful golden gaze.

"Blake, what're you... ?"

Blake kept her gaze locked on Yang's as she reached out, softly batting at Yang's weapons. They skittered across the desk, spinning in circles. Reaching out, she pawed at them again, gentle taps as she pushed them closer to the edge of the desk.

"Blake, don't you fu-"

Blake paused for a second, not breaking her staring contest with her partner.

"Don't!"

Staring at Yang insolently, she pawed at them once more, sending them careening over the edge of the desk and crashing to the floor.

Ruby burst into raucous laughter as Weiss dropped her head to her hands.

Yang sighed softly, crossing her arms.

"Okay, I deserved that." She admitted, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. Uncrossing her arms, she pushed off the counter as she moved toward her fallen weapons. Bending over, she reached to retrieve her weapons from the floor. She was, however, distracted by Blake as the Faunus crouched down, settling into a squat and supporting herself with one hand on the ground as the other reached out and pawed at Yang's hair.

Yang growled as her hair was fussed with, and she flicked her head away from Blake's reaching grasp, picking up her weapons and plonking them down on the desk. Straightening up, she fixed Blake with a stern glare.

"Don't do that again." She commanded, wagging a finger in Blake's face.

Blake, for her part, didn't utter a word. Her golden eyes narrowed as she focused on Yang's finger, and Yang paused, unsure how to deal with her partner in this new configuration.

Blake took this opportunity to straighten up a bit, reaching out with both hands and grabbing Yang's wrist to steady her hand. Leaning forward she edged closer, until she was close enough to open her mouth and slowly lick Yang's finger. Yang froze, her eyes widening as Blake slowly opened her mouth and gently bit down on the tip of her finger with the side of her mouth, gently gnawing on her finger.

"Blake, the hell!" Yang exclaimed, snapping into action as she jerked her hand away from her partner.

Blake crouched back down, tilting her head to the left as she eyed her partner curiously, ears twitching wildly as she took in Ruby's barely contained laughter and Weiss' defeated sigh.

"Fine, you wanna act like a cat?" Yang asked. She didn't wait for an answer, knowing that one probably wasn't coming anyway. Pointing toward Blake's bed, she mustered as much authority in her voice as she could.

"Go lay down."

Blake's head slowly tilted to the other side, blinking slowly and lazily at Yang. She didn't move.

"Go!" Yang commanded. In the back of her mind, she had to wonder what the hell she and Blake were doing. This was ridiculous...

Slowly, Blake stood. Stretching to her full height, she reached over her head and stretched her arms high into the sky. Yawning, she spun on her heel as her arms dropped to her sides. Slowly stalking over to their bunk beds, she threw a sly look over her shoulder at Yang before crouching down.

Realizing her intentions, Yang reached out in an attempt to stop her, not able to get a word out before Blake leapt into the air. Grabbing onto the edge of Yang's bed, she gracefully hauled herself up onto Yang's bed.

"You little-!"

Blake looked around for a moment before choosing a place to lay down. Laying down on her stomach, she sprawled out on the bed near the edge where she laid her chin on her hands, golden gaze following Yang as she temporarily gave up on her partner, pacing back and forth around the room. Her ears twitched sporadically as Yang's feet shuffled from carpet to hardwood.

Stopping at the fridge, Yang pulled open the door and reached inside. Grabbing a cold energy drink, she slammed the door a little harder than usual before turning and moving back over toward her sister. Leaning against the counter, she fixed Blake with a cool gaze as she popped the tab on her can.

"How long are you gonna keep this up, now?" Yang asked, raising the can to her lips as she took a drink.

In response, Blake yawned. Her soft, liquid gold eyes slid closed as she opened her mouth wide, revealing elongated white fangs. As she settled back down, her eyes slid open halfway to find her partner, focusing her sleepy gaze on the yellow-haired girl.

Inhaling deeply, she allowed the scent of Yang to fill her nose as her eyes slid closed once more, this time staying closed as she settled in for a nap.

"Tch!" Yang scoffed, turning to her sister.

"This is unbelievable."

Ruby shrugged, chewing for a moment before swallowing another strawberry. Her lips and tongue were stained red, and there was a smear of juice on her cheek.

"You did kinda bug the heck out of her all day, Yang." Ruby said. "You had to have seen this coming."

Yang shook her head, folding her arms under her chest.

"I expected some sort of retaliation, maybe a prank, but not this. I had no idea that my jokes would be the catalyst for such behaviour."

Weiss turned her icy blue eyes on Yang in a deadpanned stare, and it took Yang a moment to realize what she had said.

"Hey, I didn't even mean it that time!" She exclaimed, raising her hands defensively. "I told you I can't control it! That wasn't even intentional."

Weiss rolled her eyes as she pulled open a drawer near the sink. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small, soft blue dish cloth. Bumping it closed with a practiced hip sway, she reached out and gently grabbed Ruby's chin in her hand as she dabbed carefully at her cheek with the cloth.

"I don't even feel bad for you, Yang. All you do is antagonize Blake."

"Hey, that's not true!" Yang replied. "Remember last week? I shared my tuna sandwich with her!"

Weiss 'tsk'ed softly as Ruby pulled out of her grasp, shoving another handful of strawberries in her mouth.

"And what did you say to her after that?" Weiss reminded Yang, carefully folding up the cloth and setting it on the counter beside Ruby.

Yang sighed softly. "It's weird not seeing a cat eating tuna from a can." She reiterated.

Weiss nodded slowly, eyeing Ruby critically.

"And you understand how we explained that that could be incredibly offensive and insensitive?" She asked Yang. Without waiting for an answer, she turned to Ruby.

"Watch how many of those you eat, you're gonna end up with a stomach ache."

Yang groaned. "Yes, I realize it could have been misconstrued as ' _wildly racist_.'" Yang muttered, raising her hands and making air quotes with her fingers.

Weiss raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on the sarcastic tone her voice took on.

"Yeah... you should be thankful for every day you wake up alive instead of smothered to death." Weiss said.

Yang shrugged, crossing her arms under her breasts as she leaned back on the counter, sliding her gaze to Blake lounging sleepily on her bunk.

"Yeah, well, I bet she doesn't keep this up past an hour." She declared confidently.

If only she had known how wrong she was.

* * *

Author's note: I've always wanted to write a very feline Blake, and barring the typical devices like catnip and whatnot, I think I've found a great (read: immature) way to do it. Part two to follow, hopefully, within a day or two. Also, I can't believe I've got 17 chapters up. The actual number is closer to 23 if you count half-written one-shots and sequels, but 17 is still pretty great. If you liked it, and even if you didn't, drop me a review and let me know what you think. Comments, criticism, pointing out mistakes or blatant, adoring compliments are all accepted.


	18. Don't Be So Catty! Part Two

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter 18: Don't Be So Catty!_

 _Part 2 of 2_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

Yang awoke slowly, a soft thrumming interrupting her sleep and bringing her up slowly from the welcomed silence of unconsciousness.

She opened opalescent lilac eyes slowly, reaching up with her right hand to brush some stray strands of blonde hair from her face where they tickled softly against her nose.

As the rest of her senses slowly came online, she realized that the soft thrumming that had pulled her from her sleep was closer than she thought. A blanket that she was sure she didn't cover herself with last night now laid across her lower body, trapping her body heat and enveloping her with a layer of warmth that threatened to pull her back into the depths of unconsciousness.

Her left hand seemed to have a warm, gentle weight upon it. Sitting up slowly, she glanced down at her odd perspective on their dorm room.

 _'That's right,'_ She realized slowly. _'Blake took my bed so I took hers.'_

Glancing down at her hand, her eyes narrowed at the uncharacteristic sight of Blake, curled up into a ball and hugging her knees as she laid on her side, cheek resting in Yang's upturned palm. Her raven tresses were spread out on the bed, entwined in Yang's fingers, no doubt from Blake shifting and moving during the night.

The humor was not lost on Yang as she wondered if Blake was still acting immature.

 _'Like a... cat.'_

Unable to stifle it, Yang tilted her head back as she yawned, squeezing her eyes shut as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Sighing softly, she blinked them away as she licked her lips slowly.

She was awfully hungry...

Looking down at Blake once more, she gave a gentle tug on her hand. Careful not to pinch exposed skin or pull on hair, she slowly tugged her hand free.

Almost instantly Blake reacted, releasing her grip on her knees and reaching up to wrap her hands around Yang's forearm. Nuzzling into Yang's palm, the soft thrumming was interrupted for a moment as the girl inhaled deeply through her nose before sighing contentedly. A second later that odd sound resumed, and Yang's eyes widened slightly as she realized that Blake was purring contentedly.

 _'I've never heard_ that _before.'_ She thought, eyes falling to Blake's gentle grip on her forearm.

She didn't want to wake the girl, but really, she was hungry, and she wanted to see if Blake was still exacting her odd form of retribution or if she was just so used to sleeping in her own bed that the addition of another person was just a minor inconvenience.

Reaching out with her free arm, she placed it on Blake's shoulder and gently shook her, whispering her name.

"Hey, Blake. Let go of me." She whispered softly.

The Faunus' eyes squeezed closed as if she were resisting the waking call, but after a second they slowly slid open, blurry and unfocused. A few swift flutters of her eyelids and they were suddenly sharp and focused, flitting from side to side before looking up at Yang.

Yang smirked before pointing down at her trapped hand.

"Mind releasing me?" Yang asked. "I'm not a mouse."

Blake slowly raised her head off Yang's hand, carefully shaking her head to free her lengthy strands from Yang's fingers. Relinquishing her grip on Yang, she rolled over onto her back and stretched mightily, reaching far over her head as her legs straightened. She held that stretch for a moment, grey shirt riding up and revealing her navel before she relaxed, dropping her hands to rest on her bare stomach.

"Still not talking, huh?" Yang asked as she semi-reluctantly kicked off the blankets. Sliding her feet over the edge of the bed, she didn't wait for, nor expect, a response.

As expected, she didn't receive one.

Another yawn, though smaller this time, temporarily halted her progress, before she stood. Reaching up to rub at her face, she scuffed her feet across the floor as she moved toward the kitchen.

Behind her, Blake rolled over onto her stomach and grabbed Yang's pillow, bringing it under her head as she nuzzled into it. Inhaling the scent of her partner, the soft purring resumed as half-lidded sleepy golden eyes tracked her partner across the room.

Yang reached up into the cupboard and pulled down a box of cereal. Nothing sugary here, just bland, nutrient filled breakfast cereals. Well, except for the box Ruby had stashed on the top shelf behind the crockpot, but Yang was sure she was the only one who knew about it. Which meant Ruby's sugary cereal was safe, because Yang was never able to stomach that kind of food so early in the mornings.

Fingers deftly tearing into the flaps forming the top lid of the box, she reached for a bowl on the lower shelf. Setting it down carefully, she tilted the box into the bowl, piling the square shaped flakes high.

Satisfied with the amount, she set the box down on the counter in case Blake wanted some, and moved toward the small table positioned near the front window. Casting a glance at her partner on her bed to see if she had fallen asleep, she couldn't help the smile that stole over her face at the sight of golden eyes tracking her across the room, blanket draped over her body and head, flattening her ears against her skull.

Pulling out a chair, she dropped the bowl of dry cereal on the table before falling into the chair with all the grace of a sack of potatoes.

Reaching into the bowl, she grabbed a handful of cereal before shovelling it into her mouth, eyes straying to the magazine she had been browsing through yesterday morning. Reaching out and pulling it closer, she chewed the dry cereal slowly as her eyes scanned the page for the spot she had left off at the day before.

Preoccupied by the magazine, Yang didn't realize Blake had moved until the girl was standing beside her, staring down at her curiously.

After a moment or two, Yang became aware of the fact that she was being watched. Slowly Yang tore her eyes away from the magazine to look up at the girl standing beside her.

"Why don't you sit down?" Yang gestured to the seat beside her, raising an eyebrow at the raven-haired girl.

Golden eyes blinked slowly in response, before the girl silently turned on her heel and walked away.

Shaking her head slowly at the girl's strange behaviour, Yang looked over her shoulder at the retreating girl.

Which was a big mistake, she realized, as her eyes caught sight of gently twitching cat ears. Her long, dark hair trailed down her back, obscuring part of the grey t-shirt she used to sleep in.

Her slightly wavy hair ended at her hips, and Yang could make out Blake's back dimples just above where her tight, black shorts started. Long, bare legs padded silently toward the fridge, and Yang's eyes lingered just a bit too long on the flawless, creamy skin.

Turning back around before she was caught staring, she looked toward the bunks of the other two members of their team.

Yang was sure she would find Weiss' bed empty- and she did- for the girl was an early riser, even on weekends. She was no doubt down in the cafeteria, getting something a bit more substantial than cereal. Her lilac eyes flicked upward, to see blankets rising and falling slowly. Her sister was still asleep, and likely would be for a while if no one disturbed her.

Lost in her thoughts, she jerked in surprise when Blake reappeared beside her, sliding into her seat before setting a jug of milk and an empty glass on the table. Unscrewing the lid, she set it aside before upending the jug of milk, pouring it's contents into her glass.

When it was nearly filled to the rim, she set the jug down and replaced the cap. Wrapping both hands around the glass, she slowly brought it to her lips, tilting it ever so slightly as she took a sip.

Yang didn't miss how her soft, velvety ears twitched in subtle appreciation.

Suddenly, Blake's gaze was fixed on Yang's and she realized she had been caught staring. Looking away to hide the redness that tinted her cheeks, she let her eyes fall to her magazine once more. Grabbing another handful of cereal, she popped a few pieces into her mouth.

All in all, breakfast was a quiet affair. Yang finished her cereal and her magazine, and Blake sat beside her silently, sipping on her milk and slightly unnerving Yang with that endless, beautiful gaze.

Scooping up her empty bowl, Yang pushed her chair back and stood. She figured she should have been used to Blake following her every move with her eyes by now, but she couldn't help but feel a bit self conscious as she placed her bowl in the sink and stretched languidly.

Shaking her head slightly and blinking, she dropped her arms back to her sides as she wondered what to do for the day. She wasn't one to plan... well, anything really, but sometimes when opportunities didn't present themselves for the taking, it could be hard to not be bored.

Her eyes slid to Blake. She supposed she could antagonize her teammate until her sister woke up, then maybe go out to the city, or something.

A quiet sigh. Days like this were _not_ the adventure she had been hoping for.

* * *

Blake supposed she should have been more embarrassed than she was when she had woken up nuzzling into Yang, but it was hard to when Yang was just so damn cute. Plus, cats didn't feel embarrassment.

Satisfied with that logic, she stood silently. Yang had moved over to Blake's bed and was sitting on the edge, one hand fumbling with her sock and the other holding her scroll.

A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as she padded over to Yang on silent feet. Of course, the girl knew she was there, but that didn't stop Blake from quietly sitting beside her, staring at her profile with an unblinking gaze.

When Yang didn't acknowledge her after a few moments, Blake did what any good cat would do. Lowering her head, she gently nudged against Yang's shoulder. Gently at first, just a bump, but when it garnered no attention from Yang, she pushed harder, twisting and rubbing her ears against Yang's shoulder and up to her neck.

An uncontrollable, deep throaty purr emanated from Blake as the head rubs stimulated her sensitive ears, and she fought the impulse to bury her head in Yang's lap and rub fiercely at her.

Blake's eyes fell to Yang's scroll, still distracting her, and the contented thrumming in her chest stopped as she huffed. Reaching out, she pawed at Yang's hand, trying to get her to set the damnable thing down. Yang merely responded by leaning away, out of her reach.

As if that would stop her.

Placing one hand on Yang's thigh, she leaned in closer. With a well aimed swat of her hand, she knocked the scroll right out Yang's hand. The scroll fell to the floor with a barely audible ' _thump',_ as Yang turned to her with an incredulous look on her face.

"What the hell was that for!?"

Blake didn't bother with a response. Lowering her head, she pushed herself against Yang's chest.

Of course, Yang's chest being large and soft, it didn't offer much in the way of tactile feedback, and she changed her target to Yang's shoulder. It was a bit harder, and rubbed against her ears in an oh-so-pleasing kind of way.

Yang leaned back even further, trying to get away from her, but Blake pressed the attack. Losing her balance, Yang fell onto her back on Blake's bed, and Blake didn't even stop to think about letting up.

Crawling over Yang, she straddled her waist as she propped herself up over Yang with her arms on either side of Yang's head. The golden-haired fighter stared up at her with a mix of surprise and confusion.

"Okay Blake. You've proved your point, you can get off now."

Blake's ears twitched vapidly, as if to signal that she had both heard Yang, and dismissed what she had to say.

Tilting her head to the side, Blake's long unbound hair slipped over her shoulder and fell to the bed, a silky curtain framing one side of her face.

Slowly lowering her face to Yang's, a smirk crossed her face as she saw Yang's lilac eyes widen.

"B-Blake, what ar-"

Yang was cut off when Blake pushed her forehead against Yang's cheek, licking her lips slowly as she inhaled the unique, faintly cinnamon and wild berry laced scent that made up Yang's body wash and perfume collection.

A shaky sigh escaped Yang as her arms fell to her sides.

"Blake, damn, I thought you were... "

Blake pulled back, tilting her head curiously to the left as she stared down at her partner. No longer wanting to support herself above her teammate, she slowly lowered herself down until her barely clothed bottom made contact with Yang's hips.

"Hmmn?" Blake vocalized, tilting her head the other way. Her hair shifted, slipping from her shoulders to fall down her back. Wide, nervous lilac eyes stared unblinkingly at her own, and Blake, against her better judgement, turned up the heat in an attempt to thoroughly exact retribution upon her flustered partner.

Letting her hands fall to Yang's stomach, she leaned foward ever so slightly, locking her elbows and gently pressing her breasts together. Sharp golden eyes didn't miss the way Yang's gaze dropped slightly _if only for the briefest of seconds_ to catch a glimpse of the view offered by her low cut shirt before raising to meet her eyes again.

Just then, Yang remembered Blake's questioning vocalization from earlier, and a dark blush overtook her face as she looked away.

"N-nothing." She muttered.

Blake allowed herself a satisfied smirk. She didn't have to ask. She already knew. Yang thought she was leaning in for a kiss. Slowly parting her lips, she drew Yang's curious stare again as she slowly licked her lips, biting down on her bottom lip with a curved, brilliant white fang.

Straightening up, she lightly dragged her fingers down Yang's stomach, fingertips dancing over her skin in a playful, slightly ticklish dance.

Yang's eyes fluttered closed as a shiver ran through her body, not at all missed by Blake as she grinned appreciatively.

Blake let her fingertips trail away from Yang's body just as they ghosted over the waistband of her shorts, earning what sound like a half-disappointed, half-frustrated moan from the girl.

When Yang's eyes slowly opened again, Blake was smiling slyly down at her. Slowly shifting her weight, she removed herself from Yang's hips. Careful not to disturb the girl laying on her back, Blake curled up into a ball by her side, resting her head in Yang's lap and staring up at her. Her fierce liquid gold eyes dared Yang to protest.

Yang, for her part, merely pushed herself back up against the headboard so she was half-sitting up. Allowing Blake to get comfortable in her lap, she self-consciously folded her hands across her stomach, unsure what to do with her partner in such close proximity.

Blake smirked at Yang's obvious discomfort. Now, this was worthy payback.

They stared into each other's eyes for quite some time, neither noting the passage of time as they both slipped deeper into their own thoughts. To a casual outside observer, it would appear as though they were two lovers sharing an intimate embrace, although that particular thought hadn't occured to either of them yet.

Blake's ears twitched in anticipation as she realized she had a way to gain a bit of pleasure from this situation as well as increase Yang's discomfort level.

"Pet me." She whispered, speaking for the first time in quite a while.

Yang jerked, blinking. Blake raised an eyebrow at that, wondering if Yang had momentarily forgotten that she could speak. Or maybe she was just surprised by Blake's request? She wasn't sure, although she had her suspicions.

"Wh-what?" Yang stuttered, eyes breaking contact for the first time in minutes as she looked anywhere but at her coyly smiling partner.

"Pet me." Blake murmured softly, closing her eyes and tilting her head ever so slightly toward Yang.

Yang twitched uncomfortably as Blake shifted in her lap. Blake was already dangerously close to her thinly clothed groin, but for her to practically nuzzle into her crotch like that, burying her nose almost between her legs and closing her eyes...

Yang shifted self-consciously, trying to fight the embarrassment flooding her cheeks as well as the heat pooling in her stomach. Not that she held an attraction toward her partner, she told herself, but any kind of rubbing or pressure down there was going to get _some_ kind of reaction...

Her eyes widened and her thoughts froze in her mind as she heard the distinct, soft sound of Blake inhaling deeply through her nose. Her first instinct was to push the girl off her lap and put more clothes on her suddenly vulnerable body, but one glance toward the peaceful looking girl erased those thoughts in an instant.

For once, Blake looked peaceful. Content. As if she were simply a normal girl with normal school problems, instead of a huntress-in-training with more weight on her shoulders than anyone should have to bear.

Like a whirlwind, Yang's thoughts shifted again. What had Blake mumbled to her?

 _'Pet me.'_

With a decidedly shaky hand, Yang reached out and, careful to avoid her sensitive ears, began trailing her hand from the top of her head to her lower back in slow, measured strokes.

Blake put up with it for a few minutes, before nuzzling into Yang again, earning a similar reaction to last time. Grinning, she opened one golden eye to fix her partner with a piercing stare.

"Rub my ears."

"Y-your...?"

Blake nodded, pressing herself deeper into Yang's lap. Reaching up, she gripped the edge of Yang's shorts, tugging them down just a bit as she nuzzled into Yang's lap. She held on tightly, contentment enveloping her body like a warm blanket on a cold day.

She heard Yang's breath catch in her throat in a choked gasp, but closed her eyes and pretended she hadn't noticed. What she had noticed, however, is that Yang's hand had stopped stroking her hair. Twitching her ears impatiently, she was about to reiterate her request, when she felt Yang's hand on her own. Opening her eyes, she raised her head off Yang's lap to stare at her.

"What're you do-"

She was cut off as Yang firmly, yet gently tugged Blake's hand from her shorts, a deep blush staining her face as she looked anywhere but at the girl in her lap.

"Jus'... not comfortable... is all." Yang muttered, before dropping Blake's hand on her stomach.

Blake slowly lowered her head to Yang's lap, and inhaled deeply. Closing her eyes, she ran her tongue over her fangs as she picked up the subtle change in Yang's scent.

"...Sorry." Blake mumbled.

"'S'okay."

It was a moment before Yang resumed the petting, but when she did, it was glorious. Her hand started at her ears, gently scratching at their base, fingers gently stroking their length before digging pleasurably into her skull, scratching with just the right amount of pressure before sliding down her hair. Her fingers pressed with varying pressure into her neck, the muscles in her back, and her spine, before leaving her body and moving toward her head to repeat the process.

It was absolute heaven. Blake could feel her entire body relaxing, and she practically melted into Yang's lap, the loudest, most content purr she was sure she had ever produced filling the room.

Blake had never felt anything like this. Absolute, pure, unadulterated contentment and happiness flooded her body and clouded her mind with the desire to slip into unconsciousness.

As nice as it would be to fall asleep like this though, she didn't want to miss a single bit of Yang's expert ministrations, and she fought to stay awake. Her constant purr became choppy and lessened in volume and intensity as she slipped in and out of consciousness, and just as she was about to pass out, she realized that Yang had stopped.

She wasn't sure when. She had been so warm, and comfortable, and happy that she hadn't realized it. Forcing her eyes open, she raised her head ever so slightly and looked at Yang, expecting to see her partner passed out as well.

That wasn't the case, she realized, as half-lidded golden eyes met troubled lilac.

Instantly awakening at the thought of something bothering her partner, Blake gently rubbed Yang's stomach where her hand had been placed earlier.

"Yang? Something bothering you?" She asked softly.

Yang stared unseeingly at her, and upon hearing her voice, seemed to snap out of some sort of trance. Blinking away the confusion in her eyes, she shook her head. When she opened her eyes once more, they were clear and bright.

"Oh! No, sorry Blake. I was just lost in thought. I'd assumed you'd fallen asleep."

Blake wasn't entirely convinced. "Are you sure? Is there something you want to tell me? Do you want me to get off you?"

Secretly she hoped that wasn't the case. She was so damn comfortable. Yang's lap and her pleasurable hands were a gift from the Gods that she never knew she could experience.

"...No. You're fine there."

Blake sighed softly. "If you're sure."

Yang smiled serenely at her, all traces of her previous worry seemingly gone from her face.

"Trust me, I'm sure."

"In that case..." Blake leaned up a bit more, moving her head toward Yang's exposed waist and stomach. Leaning down before the girl could react, she bared her fangs and gently nipped Yang on the hip.

"Ow, hey!" Yang exclaimed, twitching at the sudden pinch on her hip. "The hell was that for?"

Blake looked up, catching her eyes with her heated, wanting stare.

"That's because you stopped petting me."

Yang removed her hand from where it had been resting on Blake's hip and gently rubbed at her skin. When she pulled her hand away, there was a smear of pink on her fingers.

"I can't believe you fucking bit me." She said incredulously. "You made me bleed!"

Blake felt a twinge of guilt pulse through her stomach, and she lowered her head.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bite you that hard."

Yang was about to respond, when Blake lowered her head a bit more, hair cascading over her shoulder and pooling on Yang's bare stomach. The silky, peppermint scented curtain may have obscured Blake from view, but it didn't stop Yang from feeling what happened next.

Gently, Blake reached down and pulled Yang's waistband down from the spot she had bit her. Exposing her hip and more of her navel, she stuck out her tongue and pressed it flat against Yang's smooth, flawless white skin. Slowly, she dragged her tongue across Yang's skin, lapping up the smears of blood that tarnished her skin. Feeling Yang's hot skin beneath her tongue was a sensation akin to having her ears touched, and she could feel Yang trembling beneath her as an unfamiliar warmth pooled in her stomach and made her shiver in anticipation.

A soft gasp reached her ears, and they flicked toward Yang, soaking up any sound the girl made as Blake became hyper aware of every minuscule sound and movement.

A desire Blake had never felt before, and couldn't place a name to, made her repeat her actions, wet tongue sliding effortlessly across Yang's smooth skin.

There wasn't a lot of blood, but the taste of it on Blake's tongue instantly set her senses alight as she craved more. It was a bitter taste upon her tongue, and salty. The scent of it filled her nose and drove her wild, and for the briefest of seconds she bared her fangs as she considered drawing more of the enticing liquid from Yang's body.

Tongue sliding across her sharp fangs, she paused, temptation and desire warring with the part of her that didn't want to hurt her partner any more than she already had.

She licked her lips, hungering for the taste of her partner. Leaning down, she licked at Yang's navel, the unique taste of Yang heavy on her tongue.

She could faintly hear the sound of Yang panting her name, and she tightened her grip on Yang's shorts as she felt Yang's hands find her ears, scratching and petting with a decidedly heavier intensity than before.

Losing herself in the waves of pleasure that seemed to set her body on fire, she dipped her head back down to place soft kisses on Yang's damp skin.

"Blake... God... "

Hearing her name moaned by Yang, her breathing coming in panting gasps, her fingers tightening in Blake's hair and tugging gently in that ever so pleasing way-

Blake's head shot up, eyes wide as she stared at Yang, the brawler's chest rising and falling with each deep breath. The girl stared back at her, face flushed and eyes half lidded with passion. A few deep breaths later and suddenly Yang seemed to realize what they were doing at the same moment Blake did.

"Th-this isn't you teasing me anymore, is it?" Yang asked, slowly relinquishing her grasp on Blake's hair.

Blake was silent, unsure of what to say. She knew she should extricate herself from Yang's lap and never speak or make eye contact with her partner again, but...

Blake gave herself over to desire as she lowered her head back to Yang's lap, never breaking eye contact with her partner as she nuzzled into her lap.

"No, it sure isn't." Was her nervous, uncertain reply.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed, feel free to drop me a review and let me know what you think. Happy New Year to you all, I hope you all have a fantastic 2016, and I look forward to putting out tons of Bumblebee fluff.


	19. Four Scars

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter 19: Four Scars_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

You have to wonder why she moves that way. You wonder, with no small amount of awe, just _how_ she moves that way.

Her body draws your eyes in a way no one else ever has before. In a way you're sure no one ever will again.

A half smile lifts the corners of your mouth as you lean back against the training arena wall, reaching up to push your damp blonde hair out of your face.

With a soft thump she lands beside you, Gambol Shroud hissing through the air as she unthinkingly twists it around in her hand before reaching up to sheathe it on her back. Your eyes traverse the length of her body, and you don't miss the way her shirt clings to her back, sweaty and soaked.

She straightens up, and turns to face you. She looks tired, but her eyes hold a certain happiness that you are sure are reflected in your own.

After all, you both live for this.

You both live for the feeling of exemplifying what it means to be a huntress.

In the midst of combat, you almost forget you're human, the way your Ember Celica propels you to incredible speeds. The way your aura protects you from things that would turn a normal human into a puddle of goop on the streets.

You stick your tongue out and shake your head at the mental image, willing yourself to replace it with something else.

You can almost forget you're human when you feel the air rushing through your hair, caressing your cheeks as the power inside you floods your muscles.

When you fight, for the briefest of moments, you forget you're only a human, because when Blake fights beside you, you know that for the briefest of moments, she forgets that she isn't.

You know you'd do anything to help her forget, at least, for a little while. When she's fighting, you get a glimpse of who she really is. She moves so fast, so fluidly that it's hard to see the smile that stretches across her face, but you can't deny the fluttering in your stomach at her excitement when she pulls off a flawless string of moves.

You replay every encounter in your mind, hours after the fight is over. In the heat of the moment you're too focused on survival to think about it, but when the dirt has been washed off your body and your weapons cleaned, you think about it. You lay in your bed, restless after every encounter, and think about it.

Her.

The way she moves. Every flawless strike of Gambol is matched only by every fluid flip and twist she executes, narrowly avoiding blades and bullets by the thinnest of margins. You used to implore her to be more careful, but she shook her head. _Dodged is dodged,_ she replied. _By inches or feet, it doesn't matter._

You blink yourself from your reverie as she reaches out to touch your arm. You realize she had been speaking to you, and you curse yourself for zoning out.

Blake didn't speak often, so when she did, you made it a priority to listen.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

She smirks at you, knowing full well you were day-dreaming.

"I asked if you wanted to hit the group showers before we went back to the dorms."

You don't think twice about agreeing. You fall into step beside her as you both move toward the women's locker room, and as the sweat begins drying on the back of your neck, you suddenly look forward to the idea of showering before beginning the walk back to the dorms.

It was late in the evening and the training room was empty. The locker rooms were too, and as soon as the door swings closed behind the both of you, Blake is pulling her shirt off over her head. It falls carelessly to the floor, but you barely notice as your gaze falls on her now messy hair.

Her fingers fall to her chest, which is compression wrapped. With a practiced ease, she pulls at the fabric, and it falls away. It joins her shirt on the floor.

A minute shake of your head as you bring your thoughts back to the present. Quickly copying her actions, you undress yourself. However, your traitorous gaze soon finds it's way back to her as she gracefully slips off the pair of black shorts she had chose to train in today.

 _'No underwear today...'_

You avert your gaze, letting it fall on your toes as you pull off your yellow and black striped shorts.

To say she was attractive would be an understatement.

To say she fascinated you... well, that would be accurate.

A swift, practiced tug removed the ribbon from her ears, and they twitched sporadically upon being set free. Only the black ribbon around her upper left arm remained, and she padded barefoot and naked over to an open shower stall along the far wall.

You quickly strip yourself of any remaining clothing, and toss them onto a bench alongside the wall opposite the lockers. Bending down, you pick up Blake's hastily discarded clothes, and place them carefully beside your own.

Inhaling softly, you turn around, only to find Blake staring at you.

You sigh softly.

No embarrassing tinge rises to your cheeks. You've seen each other naked far too many times for that.

You meet her piercing golden gaze before striding confidently over to join her under the stream of water.

Technically you should be using another shower stall, but sharing a shower and even body washes was not uncommon for you two.

This level of intimacy was hard won, you reflect, as you sidled closer to her to push your head under the stream of hot water emanating from the shower head.

Her lonely, isolated attitude was far from an act. She had few people she could call friends, and as far as you were aware, you were the only one to make the cut like this.

You smile at the thought. It was worth every ounce of energy to get close to Blake. Partners, in nearly every sense of the word, you two performed flawlessly together on the battlefield, and moments like this only reinforced that connection.

Blake had dropped off a small bag of items before they had begun their training session, and now you rifled through it, taking care not to damage or disorder any of her possessions. Really, you were more careful with her items than your own, at this point.

You found the loofah you were looking for, slightly coarse in it's texture, and a bright, frilly pink.

In your other hand is a bottle of mint-scented body wash, and as you flick the lid open with your thumb, Blake wordlessly turns her back to you. She slowly gathers her hair up and pulls it over one shoulder, bowing her head as she exposes her back and neck to you.

You still don't think that she fully understands just how much that simple gesture means to you.

Carefully, you upend the bottle and dribble a small amount of body wash onto the loofah, mindful of how much you used last time and how much it foamed up.

You shuffle closer to her until only scant inches separate skin from skin. With the loofah in your left hand, you carefully place it upon her back, and begin gently scrubbing in slow, lazy circles.

You're thorough. Both in work and in observation. You take care not to miss neither a patch of skin, nor the way she can barely contain small hums and groans of pleasure.

She's leaned away from you now, although not because she doesn't like your touch. She has both palms planted on the wall, and the hot water is gently cascading down onto the both of you.

You're careful not to off-center yourself as you lean over her to scrub at her neck and shoulders, and deciding that you'd rather be safe than sorry, you place a hand on the wall beside hers, steadying yourself. It wouldn't do well to slip and fall now.

You're very close to her now, and small movements have your hips bumping against hers, although it seems neither of you really mind.

The loofah, finished it's work on Blake's toned shoulders, begins to drift lower.

Much like your hand, your mind drifts. As you begin to lose yourself in the thoughts of the black haired beauty in front of you, you barely notice that the loofah had slid from your relaxed grip.

Instead, your soapy hand has been rubbing gently at her hips, occasionally sliding around to caress her stomach.

This was different.

Your eyes widen as your train of thought violently derails.

You straighten, and your hand leaves her navel. You can't tell whether her soft moan is one of displeasure, or satisfaction, as she straightens, hands slipping from the white tiled surface.

"Thanks." She whispers, barely heard over the torrent of falling water.

You don't need to hear her to know what she said. She's uttered the same word time and time again after you wash her back, and within a second or two-

Blake bent down to retrieve the fallen loofah, holding it under the water for a moment to rinse it off.

-She would return the favor.

You turn, and for the first time in a long time, notice the heat of embarrassment rushing to your neck.

You hope it isn't visible.

You gather the voluminous locks of golden hair, and pull them over your shoulder to bare your back and neck to your partner.

You hear her feet squeak against the tiled floor as she adjusts her position, and a second later, the feeling of cold gel against your back.

It quickly fades, however, as Blake methodically scrubs against your back.

The first few times this happened, you thought you'd died and gone to heaven. Firstly, you never thought Blake would agree to a mutual back scrubbing session, but when she eventually did, you were so nervous you barely registered it.

The next few times, you weren't so nervous. Yet, you were so concerned over how fleeting her touches were and how no sooner had she begun than she'd be finished, that you didn't have time to just relax and experience it.

Now, you closed your eyes and let your mind bleed blank. No thoughts, nothing. Every iota of your being was devoted to enjoying Blake's soft, yet firm touch on your back.

Blake followed her usual routine, quickly yet effectively scrubbing down your back and neck. When she finished with that, the loofah was quickly rinsed off and put away. You knew better than to move though, as her bare hands once again found your back. You leaned into her touch as she began kneading at your tired msucles, carefully working out the knots and smirking whenever she elicited a wince or a groan from you.

You have no idea how much time had passed before she finally relinquished her grip on you, but as always, you missed her touch almost immediately.

You turn around now, rolling your shoulders a few times and loving how relaxed and loose they felt compared to before.

Blake's hands were capable of working magic, you were convinced. Yet another part of her body that mesmerized you with it's outstanding capabilities.

 _'Is there anything she can't do?'_ You wonder idly, as your hands begin carefully running through Blake's hair.

You are careful to make sure every strand of her luscious, raven hair is wet before squirting a puddle of shampoo onto her head. She closes her eyes and bows her head slightly, leaning into your touch.

With both hands you gently scrub at her scalp, mindful not to scratch at her sensitive ears that took her forever and a day to entrust you with. You gently pull her head lower- she was the second tallest person on the team, after you- and she relinquishes, resting her forehead on your chest and nearly tucking her head under your chin.

You chuckle softly as her arms encircle your waist, and her ears twitch in response, flicking shampoo suds onto your cheek. Her chest heaves with a contented sigh, and she relaxes into your touch.

Your hands slide down her back over and over, fingers running through her hair in a practiced, measured attempt to get it all covered in the delicious smelling shampoo. You were careful not to use too much of the wild-berry scented shampoo; you didn't want to irritate her ears or her sensitive scalp, nor did you want to overpower your favorite scent, the mint you had scrubbed her down with earlier.

When you are sure that you've covered every strand, you gently step backward, pulling her with you. She follows easily, in tune to your movements. Another step, and the water is pouring down on her head, rinsing the shampoo out of her hair.

You gently massage her scalp, making sure that all traces of soap disappears. Running your fingers through her hair and having them come up clean, you're satisfied, and you release your gentle grip on her head.

She's slow to let go of your waist, and even slower still to pull her head off your chest, but when she does, she raises her head to look up at you with such a soft expression on her face that you can't help but melt a little inside.

You raise hand and gently caress her cheek with your thumb, mindful of the water droplets splashing onto your face and tickling your nose.

She smiles at you.

Your heart skips a beat, and dammit, there's nothing you can do because you know her. You know what she's been through and what it takes for her to trust you like she has, and... and...

Your thoughts grind to a halt and you're glad that you are in the shower as tears threaten to spill from the corners of your eyes.

You feel your heart skip another beat as you stare into her soft, liquid gold eyes, and for a fleeting second you wonder just how bad this girl is for your health.

Another smile, and her eyes slide closed as she beams up at you happily.

You close the small gap between the two of you as you step closer, and you wrap your arms around her waist.

A while ago, you would have described her as a flawless, porcelain skinned beauty.

Now you know better. She's beyond beautiful, and mostly because her skin _isn't_ flawless.

You know of her four most prominent scars.

Your eyes fall to the first one, a small white scar just above her right collarbone. You were excited to hear a heroic tale of greatness behind that one, but she had admitted with a dark blush cutely staining her cheeks that she had botched a backflip while practicing with Gambol Shroud and had landed on her weapon.

You remember how your eyes had widened at the thought of how easily that could have been fatal, but you couldn't stifle the giggle that escaped your lips at the thought of someone dying so ignobly. Falling on their own weapon...!

She had lightly punched your shoulder for that, and you playfully feigned injury. You smile at the memory. You didn't hate pain; much less so when it was by her hand.

The second was a six inch long gash down the inside of her left thigh. She hadn't revealed the details behind that one, and you didn't pry. She had shuddered under the featherlight touch of your finger tracing the barely visible white line though, and you remember the way embarrassment had flooded through you when you realized what you were doing and just how close you were to...

The third one was on her right arm, and she kept it always hidden, ashamed of it.

Even now, dark, waterlogged ribbons were wrapped tightly around her left bicep, concealing the scar that you had heard about, but never laid eyes on.

Three vertical slices in her arm, to remind her that although she could leave the White Fang, the White Fang would never leave her.

The fourth...

Your hands gently trailed down her back until your fingertips pass over a familiar scar, remnants of a puncture wound at the base of her spine, and offset just to the right of it.

You let your fingertips flutter gently over Blake's bare buttocks as you idly trace the scar, mind on the story Blake had told you about that one.

On a mission for the White Fang, Blake had told you, there were three of them camping in the rain for days on end, doing reconnaissance. On the eighth day, a rookie couldn't handle the stress and the elements any longer. Went crazy. Killed the other guy, and drove his knife deep into Blake's back as she slept, intent on killing any witnesses and deserting the White Fang.

She was terrified of being paralysed. To her, that was a fate worse than death.

When she recovered, she swore to never leave her back unguarded ever again. She had taken to sleeping and reading with her back against a wall. She told you that the incident had a lot to do with her current fighting style. She swore to never again take her mobility for granted, and each beautiful, graceful movement was a silent thank-you to the old Gods and the new for every day she could place one foot in front of the other.

She would shudder and tremble at each gentle touch you placed on her spine, but she never shied away. Not from you. Never from you.

You knew that every time you embraced her, caressed her, she was laying her life and her most precious asset in your hands, utterly and completely.

You knew it wasn't a meaningless gesture. She was silently telling you that you meant more to her than a knife in her back.

A warmth spread through your body as you pulled her closer yet. You were the only one allowed to touch her like this, and that had to fill you with no small amount of pride.

You weren't oblivious to just how much this girl trusted you, letting you wash her back. The thought of betraying that trust threatened to make you violently ill, and you had to swallow the lump in your throat at the thought of _anyone_ hurting Blake.

Her arms were around your neck now. You weren't sure when that had happened, but you didn't mind. Her forehead was on your left shoulder, and her head was tilted ever so slightly. You could feel her lips ghosting across your collarbone, and every heated breath sent shivers coursing down your spine.

You pressed your palms flat against her lower back, completely covering her scar. A silent, yet eternally encompassing vow to always watch her back and protect it from anything and anyone. You could feel her trembling slightly beneath your touch, a reaction that by now you knew was completely involuntary. She couldn't control it if she tried.

Her ears twitched, brushing against your cheek, and you strained against the sound of running water as you felt her lips move against your collarbone.

The words she whispered teased against your ears, but were ultimately lost to the background noise.

You cursed your human hearing, but not out loud. It wouldn't do to curse the human traits that Blake wished more than anything she could have.

Another slash of guilt tore through you at that thought, and Blake's whispered words disappeared to the back of her mind.

You knew Blake was unhappy with herself. You could see it. The way she hid who she was, cursed it daily, and yearned to just be normal.

It was too bad she couldn't see how much you admired her for who she truly was.

You closed your eyes and tilted your head back slightly as she entangled her hands in your hair.

You didn't mind.

Far from it, butterflies formed in the pit of your stomach as she slowly fussed, wrapping strands around her fingers, scratching gently against your head much as you do to her. Each inadvertent tug on your golden strands sent jolts of excitement through your body, teasing you with their unfulfilled promises of _more._

For the first time since entering the shower, you willed yourself to speak.

"Blake... "

Your voice was rough, and low. Passion and desire, and a few other emotions you couldn't quite identify made your voice raw and gutteral, and she responded by clutching you tighter, as if she would lose you if she relaxed her grip too much.

It didn't cure the aching in your chest, calling her name. It merely temporarily dampened it. Like shutting a window against a torrent of rain, the pain in your chest was muted, but still very much present.

You were glad though, that she didn't raise her head from your shoulder and question you.

You weren't sure of what to say. There were so many emotions running through you that you struggled to put into words, you were glad that these shower sessions were completed in silence.

Still, that didn't stop you from trying out your voice once more, in an attempt to further mute the pain in your heart.

"Blake... "

This time your voice was a bit lighter. Saying her name had a cathartic effect, as if she were naught but a wonderful dream and saying her name somehow made her more concrete, her ethereal beauty seemingly finding shape in your arms.

You weren't sure when your heart began hammering in your chest, but you noticed it now as she hummed softly, nuzzling against your shoulder before leaning back and fixing you with a curious look.

You weren't sure what to say, and you were sure that you shouldn't do what you wanted to do, so you resort to shaking your head resolutely.

"Never mind." You say softly, pulling her back to you.

She's curious, you can tell, by the way her ears swivel alertly, first rearward, then forward, like mini satellites searching for a signal.

Finally, the water from the shower overpowers her curiosity, and she relaxes once more into your grip, ears pressing flat against her skull in an attempt to minimize water intrusion.

There's a myriad of thoughts running through your mind, and you recognize most of them as dangerous. You push them down, partly unwilling, but mostly unable, to fulfill most of them.

You aren't sure how long you two have been in here, but much like Blake's hands on your back for the first time, you're sure it'll be over entirely too soon, and you're already looking forward to next time.

You cannot quell the adrenaline coursing through your veins. You cannot settle your heart pounding frantically in your chest. All you can do is pull the girl closer, hold her tightly, and hope she knows how much she means to you.

* * *

Aww yeah. For the first time in a while, I'm really happy with what I've put out. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it! This is the first time I've written in second person, and it's surprisingly hard! I found myself slipping into third person a few times. I hope I've caught all my mistakes, but if not, feel free to point them out to me. Drop me a review and let me know what you think. Until next time!


	20. Four Scars Part Two

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter 20: Four Scars, Part Two_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

Reluctantly, you pull yourself away from her. You can feel she's hesitant to relinquish her grasp on you, and you wish with every flustered beat of your heart that she wouldn't.

Yet she does. You understand, of course. A moment ago, you both agreed that it was time to make your way back to the dorms. It was late now; how late, you weren't sure, but you were beginning to feel tired.

It was impossible not to be tired, really. After a mentally fatiguing day of studying, and a two hour long practice session, you figured it was close to eleven-thirty at night. That, and the feel of her arms around you lulled you into a sense of safety and security that you'd never felt before.

You reach out and shut off the shower. The water had started out steaming hot, but during your dalliance in the shower, it had gradually grown colder. A hot water system capable of supplying hot water to nearly a hundred students at a time running cold should have been your first indication of how long you two spent wrapped in each other's arms, naked bodies pressed against each other as if the slightest separation would spell the end for you. You couldn't care less. The lack of hot water couldn't be further from your mind.

For the first time in a while, you tear your gaze away from those strong, comforting lilac eyes, and you look around the empty locker room. You spot your clothes piled neatly on a bench on the other side of the room, but the thought of dressing in those sweat soaked clothes repulses you.

Carefully, you make your way across the tiled floor. It's cold on your bare feet, but it has nothing on the warmth in your heart.

As always, Yang has your back. She follows close behind, and a passing thought has you wondering where her gaze might be trailing.

The thought doesn't embarrass you. You've slowly come to trust her with much more than the mere sight of your naked body, and she has never once laughed, grinned, or smirked at you. There's no condescension in her gaze, only the purest form of love and adoration you've ever seen.

 _That_ thought has your cheeks burning. The way Yang looked at you... you've never seen anyone look at anything the way she stares at you.

At times, it's unnerving. You cannot identify the emotions burning fiercely in her vibrant eyes, and sometimes, you're not sure you want to.

It's unnerving, sometimes, the way she looks at you. Yet, at all times, it's beautiful, the way she looks at you.

You move toward a locker you've prepared earlier for just such an occasion. Spinning the dial smoothly and effortlessly, the lock clicks open.

You set the lock aside and swing open the door. Inside are four towels, and a change of clothes for yourself, and Yang.

After all, this wasn't the first time you've stayed late to shower with Yang.

You glance to your left, and Yang is leaning against the lockers non-chalantly, damp hair dripping into her face as she smiles at you.

A shiver races through you at the anticipation of this not being the last time she showers with you.

You glance back at the clothes folded neatly in the locker, but only for a moment. Your gaze is pulled, almost against your will, back to Yang.

That smile is still upon her lips. You don't want to sound deluded, but the only way you can describe it is...

Love.

It's the most loving smile you've ever seen grace her lips, and you've never seen her direct it at anyone but you.

That thought has blood rushing to your cheeks, but you ignore it as best you can.

You refuse to break eye contact with her, even as you're sure your cheeks are three shades away from being a perfect match to Ruby's cloak.

Yang giggles, an absolutely beautiful sound that rings in your ears. Your Faunus ears perk up at the sound, and flick forward with such intensity that you send specks of water sailing toward her.

Her response is to close the scant inches between you, moving toward you on silent feet.

You turn your body to face her, forgetting all about the towels in your locker as the cool air whisks moisture away from your body, causing cold shivers to ravage your body.

Whether or not it's _just_ the cool air causing you to shiver uncontrollably, you aren't so sure.

Black and yellow strands mix with no objections as she presses her body lightly to yours. You tilt your head up slightly as her hands come up to ever so gently caress your cheeks.

Her touch is so light and gentle upon your skin that you have to nuzzle into her touch just to be sure that it's real. The way the rough brawler touches you as if you were the most delicate china has shivers running down your back, and you're sure she mistakes it as you being sensitive to the cold air.

She gently tilts your head up as her fingers caress your neck, and you can't contain a satisfied mewl at the touch. She hums quietly in response as she ever so softly presses a kiss to your forehead.

You can't contain yourself as you wrap your arms around her waist. Your hands become entangled in her long blonde strands almost of their own accord, a safe haven from the memory of the cruel things they've done.

Your heart nearly bursts with the pride you feel when you think of this vibrant, beautiful girl. You never thought that anyone would - could - accept you the way she has. It hadn't seemed possible. Yet, you think, heart aching with pride, here she is.

Guilt walks hand in hand with that pride, and you squeeze your eyes closed against the tears that threaten to appear at the corners of your eyes.

Yang has, without question, without reservation and with no hesitation, accepted you for all that you are and everything you have done. You adore her for it. Yet, you still can't help but wonder why.

You suppose that you shouldn't pry, that you should just accept her for who she is and everything that she does, but you know you aren't like that. Deep down, you need to know.

The self doubt and guilt claws at you as you can't help but wonder why such a beautiful girl would waste her time with a damaged animal like yourself. You're thankful beyond measure for every moment she spends with you, but still... why?

You're jerked from your internalized self-loathing as Yang gently wipes her thumb at the corner of your eyes.

You open your eyes to refocus your gaze on the beautiful girl in front of you, and your eyes widen in surprise.

Her loving expression has been replaced with one of worry. Her eyebrows are furrowed over expressive lilac eyes, and her smile has been replaced with a soft frown.

She holds her thumb up in front of you, and for how gently she touches you, you can tell she's trying to be stern and accusing.

Your golden eyes nearly go cross-eyed as you attempt to refocus on the thumb inches from your nose, and you see that it's damp.

"It kind of hurts to see you cry after I kiss your forehead." She whispers softly, voice low and husky in your ear.

Her voice sends shivers running down your spine, and you instinctively press yourself up against her.

She raises her thumb to her mouth and licks your tears from her skin. When you fully process what she's done, your breath hitches in your throat.

Her gaze is unwavering though, and as heat slowly climbs from your stomach to your cheeks, you realize what she had said.

"N-no, it's not you, it's... I... "

You stumble over your words, unsure of what you want to say. So many unfamiliar, confusing feelings are pooling in your stomach and causing you to lose control of your thoughts faster than you can think them.

You take a deep breath, and open your mouth to try again, but no sound comes out.

Yang, still caressing your neck and cheek with her right hand, slips her left hand to the back of your head and pulls you close.

You willingly bury your nose in the crook of her neck, and you don't miss the way she trembles faintly against you.

"I never want to be the cause of any pain or sadness in your life." She whispers. Her voice is strong in your ears, filled with a determination and passion that you've never heard from her before.

You close your eyes and relax into her embrace. You inhale the familiar, comforting scent that is uniquely _Yang_ , and a deep calm settles over you as you exhale a shaky breath.

"I would give anything to make sure you never shed a single tear ever again."

The conviction in her voice threatens to overwhelm you, and you wonder once again why this passionate, beautiful girl is here holding you in her arms.

You certainly have done nothing to deserve this.

Your body betrays your mind though, as you press yourself ever closer. Your hands entangle themselves tighter in her hair, and some self-conscious part of you is mindful to make sure you don't pull on her luscious strands. There is no space left between you and her, and her warmth becomes yours as you once again take note of how perfectly your body fits against hers.

Her hands leave you momentarily, and you feel her pushing bodily against you as she leans toward the locker you're standing near. A second later, and she relaxes. A soft, white towel is draped over your head, momentarily blocking your vision. You pull back slightly as she chuckles, before gently massaging the towel against your hair.

The towel shifts and moves, and you catch glimpses of Yang's beautiful face, loving smile back on her face as she gazes at you with a soft, unreadable expression in her eyes. You close your eyes and lose yourself to the darkness as you concentrate on the feeling of her hands rubbing your hair dry, and you lean into her touch.

A second later and the towel falls to your face. She ever so gently dabs at your cheeks, patting your nose dry before falling to your neck. Most of you has air dried by now, but you willingly give yourself over to Yang as she gently, ever so carefully, caresses your body with the towel.

She steps a bit further away from you as the towel falls to your shoulders, and you instinctively raise your hands and place them on her shoulders. She hums appreciatively at the gesture, and the towel finds it's way under your armpits, the soft fabric whisking away moisture from your arms as it slides down to your hands.

Without hesitation she moves to your other arm, and your head lazily droops to one side as a deep relaxation floods your body.

The girl you've wholly entrusted your life and your body to passes the towel over your chest, and you jerk lightly in surprise at the feeling of her fingers on your breasts, separated only by a thin cotton cloth.

Her touch is fleeting as she dabs the water from your chest. Then she's moved on, encircling the towel around your waist and rubbing softly at your stomach and hips.

You keep your eyes closed and concentrate on fighting the blush you feel rising in your cheeks.

Your showers have always been intimate, but she has never done this before.

You find yourself appreciative of her touches. Another caring gesture from a beautiful girl that you still can't believe walks beside you and proudly declares herself to be your partner.

A curious part of you wonders how far she will go, and before you can ask, Yang carefully falls to one knee. Her hair tickles against your flat stomach as she gently runs the towel up and down your leg, and you find yourself shifting your weight to spread your feet apart to allow her better access.

Your eyes fly open as your heart rate elevates with reckless abandon. A heat is pooling in your stomach now even as embarrassment threatens to make you faint. You never meant to spread your legs-!

Yang's hands pass over the inside of your thigh, her touch feather light with only the thin towel preventing skin to skin contact.

This was new.

Even with her relatively weak human hearing, you were all but certain she could hear your heart pounding wildly in your chest. You could hear the blood pounding in your ears, and your breaths came faster and more shallow as she switched to your other leg.

With a dedicated care that you knew she reserved for only you and her sister, she slid her hands up your leg, careful to not miss a drop.

You glanced down at the top of her head hovering around your navel, and self-conscious didn't even begin to describe the flood of emotions tearing through you right now.

Yang didn't seem to mind though, and just as you were beginning to regain control over your erratic heartbeat, she let the towel slide from her grasp. It landed in a heap at your feet as her hand reached out, and before you could react, before you could speak, before you could _think_ , her fingertips gently slid down the inside of your thigh, tracing the length of the scar there.

You were unsuccessful at biting back a choked moan, and it seemed to snap Yang back to the present.

Her hands fell away from your body, and retrieved the towel. Straightening up, her loving gaze found your own embarrassed one as she carefully wrapped the towel around your waist.

When she had successfully knotted it around your hips, she raised her hands to your face once more.

You found yourself mesmerized by her strong, unwavering gaze. Unable to look away, you sighed softly as her hands gently caressed your neck. Gently tilting your head to the side, she leaned down and place a soft kiss to your temple.

You close your eyes as her soft lips leave you. For a moment you find yourself missing it, before they fall to your skin once more. This time against your cheek.

You think that your heart can't possibly take any more of this rough treatment as her lips fall to your neck. There, she places one more kiss against the side of your throat, lingering there a bit longer this time.

You wish she would never pull away.

Yet she does. Her lips leave you with a quiet whisper of your name, a whisper you have no trouble catching.

The emotion poured into that one whispered word makes your knees go weak.

You reach out and cling to her as if your life depends on it.

In a way, it's not untrue. You don't really remember when, but somewhere along the line, you became entirely dependent on this girl. Her touches, her looks, her smile. You felt like you lived and died with every breath she took.

You wouldn't have it any other way.

The next few minutes are a whirlwind of activity as Yang's hands leave you to attend to her own needs. She dries herself and dresses with a frightening efficiency, although, you suppose, she misses being wrapped up in you as much as you do.

You have to actively restrain yourself from wrapping your hands around her waist and pressing yourself to her naked back when she turns around, and you bite your lip harshly to try to ground yourself in reality for a moment.

A second passes and you taste blood. You lick your lip gingerly as you turn around to grab another towel from your locker. Scrubbing once more at your hair in a last ditch attempt to scour as much moisture from your hair as you can, you toss the towel back in the locker and trade it for a pair of dark blue shorts and a sleeveless black shirt.

You forego underwear, intending to strip naked and crawl into bed the second you hit the dorms. Your exhaustion is matched only by your desire to be wrapped up in Yang's embrace, and you have to fight both for a moment of mental clarity.

Beside you, Yang turns back to you as she tosses her dirty clothes from practice into a bag she had retrieved from your locker.

Reaching up, you pull your damp hair out from the confines of the shirt, and let it fall over your shoulder.

"Ready to go?" You ask, clearing your throat softly at how rough it sounded.

She nods, staring at you with an intensity that immediately causes a now all-too-familiar heat to rise to your cheeks.

You turn away from her before she can see it, and stride out of the locker room on bare feet, picking up your shoes from the entrance where you had kicked them off earlier.

Yang is unusually quiet on the way back to the dorms, and you assume she's just as lost in thought as you are.

The walk is a blur; you don't remember much of it. As you stop in front of your door, you have to wonder if that's a result of Yang's heavy presence in your mind.

You brush a strand of hair out of your face, then gently push the door open. It's dark inside the dorm, but that doesn't affect you.

Your pupils dilate to their maximum as you look around the room. Weiss is asleep on her bed, the blankets neatly folded up to her chest. You step inside the room with Yang close behind you, and the door slides shut.

Your gaze rises to Ruby.

She could not be any more different from Weiss if she tried, and you stifle a snicker as you see her sprawled out on top of her messy blankets, one leg hanging precariously over the edge of her make-shift bunk bed.

Yang's hands find their way to the small of your back, gripping the fabric of your shirt as she comes to a stop behind you.

The touch distracts you from your team mates, and you slowly move deeper into the room, letting Yang follow behind you as you're sure she cannot see half as well as you can.

When you reach your bed, you stop. Reaching behind you, you take one of Yang's hands and pull it to the edge of your bed. When she feels the soft fabric beneath her hand, she nods in understanding. She's reached the beds.

You release your soft grip on her, and reach to your waist. Gripping the hem of the shirt loosely, you pull it up and over your head. You shake your hair out as you drop the shirt to the floor.

Anticipation flooding through your body at the prospect of finally relaxing in bed, you turn to Yang to bid her good night. You assume she'll crawl up to her own bed, as she has before.

It seems her eyes are starting to adjust to the darkness somewhat, as you find her looking at you.

Without a word, she reaches up and places her hands on your shoulders. Gently pushing you toward the bed, she tilts her head toward it to make her intentions known.

You nod slowly as you crawl onto your bed. Your hair falls over your shoulder, and you're glad that it blocks your embarrassed face from her view, no matter how poorly she may be able to see right now.

You slide over toward the wall, and somewhat eagerly pat the bed beside you.

She wastes no time in tearing off her clothes before pulling back the blankets and sliding under the cool fabric.

When you're certain she's situated, you peel back the covers and slip silently underneath. The cool sheets against your heated skin feel nice, and you're hyper aware of the inches that separate you from Yang.

You realize that the inches that separate you from her might as well be a gulf to Yang, and she has no intention of finding this acceptable. Within seconds, she's reached out and wrapped her arms around your waist. She pulls you tightly against her, and nuzzles her nose into the back of your neck as she presses her chest to your back.

You couldn't be happier.

You reach down and place your hand over Yang's as she gently caresses your muscled stomach, and a deep sigh of contentment escapes you as every muscle in your body slowly relaxes into her strong, comforting embrace. She entwines her fingers with yours, and holds on tightly.

As she presses herself against you in a silent vow to guard your back as you drift off to sleep, you slowly let your feelings of doubt and guilt fade away. You realize that you don't have to question it. You don't have to know why. All you know is that this girl is the best thing that's ever happened to you, and is more than you ever could have asked for. It doesn't matter how, or why. She's here, and she's here with you.

For a long time these feelings have been indescribable to you. Mysterious feelings that skirted the edges of your consciousness, teasing you with every caring look that Yang threw your way.

You're sure of it now. How you feel about Yang. You're not entirely sure that she feels the same, but you know how you feel, and you aren't going to hold back anymore.

These feelings you hold for your beautiful, caring partner, the way your heart beats erratically just by looking at her, these feelings finally have a name.

You love her, you realize.

You love her with all of your heart, and then some.

And tomorrow, you're going to tell her.

* * *

Author's note: Ask, and you shall receive. This is for iFaye, who wanted to see a piece from Blake's point of view. I'm pretty happy with this, but I maintain that Blake is damn difficult to write. I'm not as happy with this one as I am with the chapter previous, and I will continue to try my hardest to capture Blake and all of her wonderful complications. This almost went in a completely different direction, and Blake almost went "full Blake-y". I had almost written her as an emo, self-loathing, confidence lacking girl who felt she didn't deserve Yang or any of her friends because of the things she had done, and as true to her character as that might be, it's been done to death before.

What I was trying to capture with "Four Scars" was the unwavering, unbreakable love and friendship that they share that neither of them question, that they just blindly accept because they hold nothing but undying love in their hearts for their partner. I feel like I successfully embraced that feeling in the first chapter, but this one... Damn it Blake is hard to write.

Anyway, as always, let me know what you think!


	21. Something Different Part Four

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Twenty-One: Something Different, Part 4 of ?_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

Author's note: Ruby is introduced in this chapter. Neat. Also, I went way off the script with her character design, so, hopefully no one's jimmies are too rustled with how I portray her. Enjoy!

* * *

"She's going to be here soon." Blake groaned, glancing at the girl beside her.

Silver hair was tossed airily over a shoulder as Weiss shrugged.

"Just calm down. Seriously, this is your third date, and you're still losing your mind over her and what you should be wearing. Even though every date goes spectacularly, because I'm fantastic at match-making."

Weiss put a hand to her chest at that statement, closing her eyes and waiting for Blake's praise.

After a moment, Weiss realized Blake wasn't going to respond. She dropped her hand to her side and sighed, opening her eyes.

"Really, Blake. She doesn't care what you wear. She's head over heels for you, and your wardrobe has nothing on your beautiful personality."

Blake looked up at her again, eyebrows raised slightly.

"I know, and thanks Weiss."

Weiss grinned, reaching into her back pocket for her phone.

"So, are you going to tell her?"

Blake made a questioning sound in her throat as she picked out a pair of tight fitting light blue jeans, pulling them up over a black thong.

"Tell her what?"

"About being a faunus."

Blake made a soft whining sound.

"...Probably not."

"She's going to find out eventually."

Blake turned to look at her, a green sleeveless shirt in her hand.

"Yeah? How, are you going to tell her?" She asked curiously.

Weiss shook her head.

"She's not stupid. And you can't carry this lie on forever. If things end up going really well between you two, are you really going to attempt to keep that a secret for the rest of your life?"

Blake bit her lip as she pulled the shirt over her head, smoothing it out before flicking her hair out of the collar of her shirt.

"I don't know. I'd rather not think about it." She said.

"Well, you probably should think about it." Weiss advised.

Blake reached down and picked up a black leather bracer from the dresser top, fastening it to her right wrist. When it was tightly secured, she reached down and picked up a dark brown leather strip. Gathering her hair into a high ponytail, she was careful to flatten her ears underneath her hair before securing her ponytail with the thin leather strip. She tied it into a bow, and allowed the tails to hang down, ending just before they could tickle the back of her neck.

"Maybe I'll do that." She muttered. She raised her gaze to stare at her in the reflection from the mirror, and was nearly satisfied with her appearance. Dark gold eyes stared back, taking in her soft white skin, black ink constrasted sharply in the tattoo visible on her neck. Strands of her raven black hair framed her slender face, and she reflexively reached up to tuck it behind her ear.

Turning around, she paused to study Weiss' choice of outfit.

The girl had gone with her traditional offset white ponytail, but her usual classy, expensive and ornate hairpiece had been replaced with a dark red strip of fabric. She had foregone the usual shiny necklaces she usually wore, instead leaving her neck bare. A white short sleeved t-shirt covered her upper body, the stretchy fabric clinging tightly to her and illustrating just how thin the girl was.

Her lower body was clad in a pair of black jeans, the white belt she had loaned to Blake for her first date with Yang encircling her waist. Around her left wrist was a thin silver bangle.

"Well, you look good." Blake said quietly.

Weiss rolled her eyes, sighing exasperatedly.

"You do too, you dunce." She replied affectionately. Suddenly her eyes lit up, and she slipped her phone back into her pocket, temporarily forgetting why she had withdrawn it in the first place.

"Oh! guess what? Yang texted me last night. She reeaaally wants to see the rest of your tattoo." Weiss wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, causing a dark blush to immediately rise to Blake's cheeks.

The dark haired girl reached up and tentatively touched the tattoo on her neck.

"Are you going to show her?" Weiss asked.

Blake shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, yeah, if she asks, it's not that big of a deal."

Weiss smiled. "I think you should. I think she would like that."

Blake narrowed her eyes at Weiss.

"I think your thoughts are turning pervy." Blake retorted.

Weiss shrugged, smiling.

"Guess you'll just ha-"

She was cut off as a familiar sound reached their ears, and she didn't miss the way Blake's eyes widened at the sound.

Weiss giggled softly.

"I love how excited you get when she comes over. It's so cute!"

Blake stuck her tongue out at Weiss.

"Whatever." She mumbled. "Are you ready? Let's go!"

Weiss waved her off and turned around, picking up her keys and Blake's phone off her bed. Straightening up, she slipped the keys into her pocket as she curiously pressed the power button on Blake's phone.

The screen lit up to reveal two text messages and a notification that Yang had sent a photo.

"Ooh, Yang sent you a picture." Weiss said, turning around to face Blake.

Blake spun around from where she was about to walk out the door, and she took a step toward Weiss, golden eyes widening.

"Hey, give me my phone!"

Weiss laughed, quickly unlocking the phone with Blake's four digit passcode.

"I wanna see what she sent you!" Weiss replied, reaching out her other hand to fend off Blake's grasping hands as the girl desperately clawed for her phone.

"Weiss, I'm gonna kick your ass!" Blake snarled.

Weiss quickly opened the picture, and was a bit disappointed to see that it was just a selfie from Yang in her truck. Her violet eyes were bright with excitement, and she wore a large grin on her face.

"Aww, nothing scandalous." Weiss pouted, handing the phone back to Blake, who snatched it angrily from her grasp.

"Cute picture though."

Blake narrowed her eyes and glared at Weiss for a second before sliding her gaze down to her phone. Her expression softened and a smile crept onto her face as she stared at the picture.

Weiss moved toward the door, touching her back pocket to reassure that she had her phone.

"Let's go, Yang is waiting for you."

Blake lowered her phone, and slipped it into her pocket. Nodding to Weiss, she followed after her silver haired friend.

They stepped outside, and Blake had to shield her eyes from the mid afternoon sun for a moment until her eyes adjusted. Beside her, Weiss locked her front door, before pocketing her keys.

"So what's the plan again?" Weiss asked, moving toward the truck parked in her driveway. Thankfully Yang had shut it off, so she could be heard without yelling.

Blake shrugged. "She wasn't too specific, she just said that her and her sister were going out for the weekend to some property they have, and thought we would like to come along."

"Oh, her sister is coming? I've heard about her, but I've never met her."

"Maybe you should start dating her, so I can make fun of you." Blake replied, a grin crossing her face as Yang hopped out of the driver's side. Weiss was about to reply, but Yang excitedly cut her off.

"Hi Blake!" Yang waved, quickly closing the short distance between them and pulling the slightly shorter girl into a crushing hug.

"Oof! Hey Yang." Blake mumbled into her shoulder. Despite her comparatively tame greeting, her heart fluttered in excitement as she wrapped her arms around the slightly taller girl.

Yang released Blake after a moment, but kept her arm around the older girl's shoulder as she turned to face Weiss.

"Hey Weiss! I should introduce you two to my sister before we get going." She turned back to the truck and waved. A second later, and the rear passenger door opened, a girl about Weiss' height hopping out.

The girl landed on the ground with both feet together and arms outstretched in an almost playful fashion before straightening up and closing the door. Turning around, she walked toward them, a wide grin on her face.

The girl had long straight black hair that reached down to just below her chest, hanging over her left shoulder. The last few inches of her black hair were dyed a dark red. The right side of her head was shaved, and there were two small stars tattooed above her right ear. A small silver teardrop piercing under her right eye accented the silver in her eyes.

"Blake, Weiss, this is my little sister Ruby. Ruby, this is Blake, and her friend Weiss."

Ruby reached out and shook each of their hands, then looked up at her older sister with a questioning look.

"This is the one you were telling me about?" She asked, gesturing toward Blake.

Yang made a shushing sound, waving at Ruby's pointing finger.

"Ruby, that's rude! Don't point."

"Oops, sorry!"

Yang sighed, then nodded. "But yeah, she is."

Ruby made a small sound of acknowledgement.

"Well, Blake, I've heard a lot about you. I look forward to all of us being great friends!"

Weiss glanced sideways at her raven-haired friend, and could see that she was quickly becoming embarrassed from all of the attention.

"So, uh, what's the plan for today, anyway?" Weiss spoke up, diverting the attention off of her shy friend.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Blake shoot her a grateful look.

Yang grinned at her, her expression almost as sunny as the skies above.

"We're building a house out on an acreage about an hour or so outside of town. We have about eight acres of forest and field behind and beside the house. The house isn't actually finished yet, but I figured we could go out there and have a big fire and relax and have a good weekend."

Blake nodded enthusiastically. "That actually sounds like a lot of fun."

Yang removed her arm from Blake's shoulders and gestured toward her truck.

"Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

With that, they all turned toward Yang's truck.

"Blake gets shotgun!" Yang called out, laughing as her sister let out an audible 'awww.'

"We can switch in a bit." Blake offered, not wanting to put anyone out.

Ruby laughed as she opened the rear door, waving her off.

"It's no big deal, really. Don't worry about it."

With that, she hauled herself into the truck with more grace and ease than Blake would have suspected was possible for such a short person.

 _'I guess it really does get easier with time.'_ She thought, as Yang opened her door for her.

She smiled happily at the blonde girl, before pulling herself up into Yang's truck.

The door closed beside her and instantly the tint eliminated any trace of sunlight and heat from the inside of the truck. Settling back into the comfortable leather seat, she looked over her shoulder as Weiss got in the back on the driver's side.

Blake caught Weiss' gaze, then tilted her head toward Ruby sitting directly behind her and out of her line of sight, view blocked by the headrest. Weiss's blue eyes slid to Ruby, then back to Blake with a questioning lift of her eyebrow.

Blake wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, licking her lips.

Weiss' eyebrows furrowed, confused, and she looked around for a second before looking back to Blake. Raising a hand, she pointed at herself, wordlessly mouthing, _'Me?'_

Blake nodded, grinning.

Weiss' eyes narrowed dangerously as Yang opened her door and pulled herself into the truck.

Aware of the black and red-headed girl sitting beside her, Weiss pulled out her phone, swiftly keying in a message to her friend.

 _'Just what are you implying, Blake?'_

Pressing send, she dropped her phone in her lap and fixed Blake with a pointed stare.

The girl smirked at her, before turning around in her seat to face forward. Pulling out her phone, she took a second to compose a reply before setting her phone on the center console between herself and Yang.

Yang, for her part, spotted the opportunity and reached out, firmly grasping Blake's hand in her own and holding on, looking over at the girl and grinning widely.

"Gotcha! You're mine now!" Yang exclaimed, turning her attention back to the road and missing the way the back of Blake's neck darkened a shade or two as she looked away, embarrassed.

Weiss, however, had a perfect seat to catch all the antics between the two, and she bit her lip to keep herself from squealing in delight as she saw that for the first time in a while, Blake looked happy, and there was someone finally treating Blake the way her friend deserved.

Just then, her phone vibrated as Blake's message reached her phone.

Pulling her gaze away from Yang and Blake's entwined fingers, she dropped her eyes to her phone.

 _'I wonder if Yang's sister is single. You should find out. You could end up having a good time this weekend.'_

Weiss snuck another glance at the odd girl beside her, before returning her gaze to her phone. Her fingers tapped speedily against her screen as she formulated her reply.

 _'I know you're kidding, but still. She looks like she's even younger than Yang. You might get weird looks, but I'll get jail time. Besides, just because you're into girls doesn't mean I am!'_

Locking her phone, she dropped it into her lap as she turned her head to look out the window.

She didn't notice the way Ruby stared at her curiously, taking in every detail of the silver-haired beauty.

* * *

Author's note: There's at least one more chapter for this short story, and possibly a few more. Feel free to drop me a review and let me know what you think. Good, bad, or anything in between, I truly appreciate the feedback. And as always, thanks for taking the time to read my little stories.


	22. Something Different Part Five

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Twenty-Two: Something Different Part 5_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

"So... Weiss, was it?"

Weiss was jerked out of her thoughts at the sound of her name being called, and she turned toward the voice.

"Hm? Oh, yeah." Weiss responded, turning her gaze on the rather non-traditionally pretty girl beside her. "What's up?"

"How old are you?" The girl asked, reaching up and running her hand through her hair as she pushed it away from her forehead.

Weiss was silent for a moment, icy blue eyes taking in the way her raven locks slid back down over her shoulder, what little sunlight that could penetrate the tinted cab through the open sunroof glinting off her shiny hair.

"Uhh... " Weiss was temporarily at a loss for words as the girl grinned at her, revealing perfect white teeth. Her silver-grey eyes shone brightly, her mirth evident at Weiss' hesitation.

"T-twenty-two!" Weiss suddenly stuttered, feeling a heat rise in her cheeks.

"I'm twenty-two." She repeated lamely, looking down at her lap before returning her gaze out the window. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass, and willed her heart to stop hammering in her chest.

"And you?" She asked, after a moment, turning back to face the curious girl.

"Sixteen." Ruby replied, reaching up to toy with the ends of her hair.

"O-oh."

Weiss felt like kicking herself for her lame reply, and she wracked her brain trying to figure out what else she could say to carry on the conversation before she could be branded a simpleton.

"So," Weiss began, "Tell me a bit about yourself. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, no boyfriend." There was a sly grin playing about her lips as she said that, and Weiss wondered if there was more to the statement than she was letting on.

"I'm in high school right now, but I plan on continuing on for business and accounting. I'm really good at math, and I kinda enjoy it."

"What do you do for fun? In your spare time?" Weiss asked.

"I draw." The girl replied. "I really like drawing. I'm not that good yet, but that doesn't bother me."

Weiss smiled. "That's pretty cool. I can't draw at all. I'd like to see some of your stuff, if you wouldn't mind."

Ruby nodded, smiling demurely. "I don't mind."

Curious about the girl's appearance, Weiss bit her lip, wondering if it would be inappropriate to ask. After a moment's deliberation, she decided that she probably wouldn't be the first, or the last, to inquire.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what's with the shaved head?" Weiss asked, immediately regretting not taking a moment to formulate her question in a slightly less blunt way.

Ruby laughed, a reaction that Weiss was not expecting. Truthfully, she didn't know what to expect, but beautiful laughter was not it.

"I get bored easily. Very easily. And I'm very curious. I'll try anything once." She said, silver eyes shining brightly as she smiled at Weiss.

Weiss licked her lips as her mind took off with that thought, and she willed herself to focus instead on the girl beside her.

"I saw this particular hairstyle on a girl on the street a while back, a blonde girl. It looked phenomenal, and I decided that day that I would go get the same thing. My hair was shorter back then, only down to my chin, so it looked a bit weird. It's grown out a bit now, but to be honest, I'm getting bored of it. I want to grow out both sides again, and cut it short."

Weiss narrowed her eyes slightly as she tried to picture the girl with shorter hair.

"I think you'd look pretty cute with shorter hair." Weiss offered.

Ruby smiled happily at her. "Thanks! I think it would look good too."

Weiss was about to reply when she felt her phone vibrate. Picking it up off her lap, she saw that it was a text from Blake.

A quick unlock, and she opened the text, rolling her eyes in exasperation at what she read.

 _'Hear that Weiss? She said she'll try anything once. Eh? Ehh?'_

Weiss contemplated a variety of replies for a moment, before finally settling on one.

 _'Stop eavesdropping and mind your business. Pay attention to your girlfriend, not your girlfriend's sister.'_

She had barely sent the message when her phone vibrated again. Blake's reply had been swift and insistent.

 _'Yang is NOT my girlfriend!'_

Weiss raised an eyebrow, then looked up at Blake as the girl twisted around in her seat, fixing Weiss with a glare.

 _'Are you two not dating? I'm confused.'_

In the front seat, Blake had turned back to face forward, head bent as her fingers flew across her screen.

 _'I don't know what we are. We've gone on a few dates and we've kissed, but she's never asked me out.'_

Weiss sighed, locking her phone. She would have to have a talk with her friend later when they had some time alone.

"What about you?"

Weiss turned toward the voice, arching an eyebrow in question.

"Hm? What about me?" She asked.

Ruby smiled softly, a light tint coloring her cheeks as she tilted her head to the side. Her silver eyes slid side to side before flicking up to meet icy blue. Muted sunlight splashed across her face and danced in her eyes, lending her fair skin a beautiful glow. Her raven hair slipped off her shoulder and cascaded down to her chest in a silky waterfall of black and red. It looked so soft that Weiss had to restrain herself from reaching out to touch it.

"Do you... have a boyfriend?" Ruby asked softly, bowing her head and allowing her hair to obscure her vision.

Weiss couldn't contain the flutter that erupted in her stomach at the girl's soft and shy attitude. Despite her rather brash appearance, the girl seemed to be quite timid around certain subjects.

"No, I don't." Weiss finally replied, tearing her thoughts away from how adorable Ruby looked.

The girl raised her head to look at Weiss, her lips curving into a small smile.

"A girlfriend, then?"

"What!?" Weiss asked, unable to stop her reaction. A tinge of embarrassment rose to her cheeks even as her eyebrows curved downward over narrowed eyes.

Ruby raised a hand in apology. "Sorry, I just... got that vibe from you."

Weiss bristled at the remark.

"I think you've gotten the wrong vibe." Weiss spoke curtly, crossing her arms over her chest.

There was silence for a moment, then Ruby spoke up once more.

"So... that's a no on the girlfriend?"

Weiss ground her teeth together as she turned to look at Ruby, mouth opening with a scathing retort on the tip of her tongue. Her reply died wordlessly though, as she laid eyes on the beautiful girl sticking her tongue out at Weiss and rubbing the back of her head.

Weiss sighed, then reached out and gently slapped at Ruby's shoulder.

"Jerk." She muttered.

Ruby pursed her lips together and blew Weiss a kiss, giggling at the silver-haired girl's flustered reaction.

"Are you always such a tease and a flirt?" Weiss asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice.

Ruby hummed softly, turning her head to look out the passenger window.

"Just to the pretty girls." She replied airily, silver eyes cavorting across the blurry landscape.

Weiss' sharp intake of breath was audible in the back seat, putting a smile on Ruby's face.

* * *

She was awoken by the truck swaying side to side. The swaying gently rocked her out of unconsciousness, and as she opened her eyes, she wondered why everything was tilted.

Confusion set in for a moment as she tried to remember where she was. When she blinked herself a bit more awake, she remembered the truck ride, the talk with Ruby, the-

She jerked upright, turning to look at the girl whose shoulder she had been sleeping on. Fully awake now, she could feel the back of her neck heating up as she tripped over an apology.

An amused expression flitted across Ruby's face as she held up a hand in an attempt to stem the flow of jumbled words from Weiss, deriving quite a bit of pleasure from the red-faced girl beside her.

"Don't... worry about it. I didn't mind." Ruby said slowly, her voice soft. Enticing silver eyes trailed down Weiss's form as she licked her bottom lip, reaching up to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Slowly those silver eyes made their way back up to meet embarrassed blue, and a smile curved Ruby's lips.

"Plus, I think your friend took a picture or two."

"Blake! You didn't." Weiss turned to settle her irate gaze on her friend in the front seat. Blake merely held up her phone and waved it side to side, nodding as she caught her friend's eye in the reflection of the vanity mirror.

"Sure did Weiss. If you ask nicely, maybe I'll let you see them!"

"Ugh. Jerk!" Weiss crossed her arms over her chest, turning to look out the passenger window as she tried to ignore Yang's laughter.

Her eyes fell upon a landscape she had never seen before, being a born and bred city girl.

All around them, rolling hills stretched out almost as far as the eye could see, a blanket of green grass and brown earth. A perimeter of trees surrounded the rolling hills, so far away in the distance that they might as well be stalks of grass. The sun was setting now, casting an orange hue over everything it touched, and Weiss' eyes widened as she took in the nearly surreal beauty that surrounded her.

The truck jerked wildly to the right as Yang unexpectedly rolled over a half-buried rock, obscured by the tall grass that tried to peek over the hood of the lifted monstrosity. Despite having her seat belt on, Weiss was still thrown to the right as the truck swayed wildly back and forth, and she found herself pushing away from Ruby's lap once more as the girl giggled uncontrollably.

"Sorry!" Yang called out, lightly gripping her steering wheel. Her violet eyes appeared in the rear view mirror for a moment as her gaze slid from her sister to Weiss.

"Every once in a while you find a rock or two." She shrugged. Slowly, she guided the truck through the tall grass, seemingly navigating without difficulty.

It wasn't long before the grass gave away to a flat patch of earth easily twice the size of a football field and corralled on one side by a small thatch of trees.

"This is our stop." Yang called, slowly bringing her truck to a halt and popping it into park.

She let the truck idle for a moment, the only sound that could be heard as they all rolled down their windows to get a better view of their surroundings.

"This clearing is going to be the new camping spot, a home-away-from-home, if you will." Yang declared, shutting off her truck and letting the diesel groan fade away.

"How far away from the actual house will it be?" Ruby asked, unbuckling her belt and opening the door.

Yang opened hers as well, removing her seat belt.

"About four or five minutes west through the field will take you to our house. Or at least, at this point, our build site." She said.

Blake and Weiss copied her movements, swinging their doors open and carefully stepping down onto the soft grass.

Moving toward the rear of the truck, they followed Yang. They were silent for a few minutes as they each looked around, taking in their new surroundings. New to everyone except Yang, who had been here twice before.

Yang popped the latch on the tailgate to her truck and dropped it down. Then, without warning, she turned to Blake and wrapped her arms around the slightly shorter girl's waist, earning a panicked yelp as she lifted the girl up.

"Yang, what are you-!"

Setting Blake down on the tailgate of her truck, Yang grinned cheekily up at her as she blew a strand of hair out of her face before moving closer to the girl, gently pushing herself between Blake's spread legs and resting her hands on Blake's hips.

A deep blush colored Blake's cheeks, and she lowered her head and hid behind her silky curtain of hair.

"Nah, none of that, now." Yang chided gently, reaching up and slipping her hand underneath Blake's chin. Yang softly lifted Blake's chin up until she could look her in the eye. When their gazes met, bemused violet and embarrassed gold, Yang smiled, stroking Blake's cheek with her thumb.

"Good girl." Yang purred, her smile curving into a smirk.

Any progress that had been made was immediately lost as Blake 'eep'ed, bowing her head and burying her face in Yang's shoulder amidst peals of laughter.

Ruby gently nudged Weiss with her elbow, garnering the older girl's attention and drawing it away from the sunset behind them.

"Are you sure your friend is twenty-three?" She asked incredulously.

Weiss blinked, then tuned into the sight of Blake nuzzling into Yang's shoulder.

Another slow blink as she tried to process what was happening.

"You know," She answered finally, "Sometimes I'm not too sure."

Beside her, Ruby laughed quietly as a gentle breeze kicked up, whispering through locks of black and white.

* * *

Author's note: Man, this one is getting out of control. Might as well be it's own story.

I'd like to thank each and every one of you who reviewed and left me your opinion on my stories thus far, and more specifically, the changes I've made to Ruby's character. I understand not everyone likes it, and that's okay. I welcome all opinions, good or bad, and I'm glad that you've taken the time to tell me what you think. It is really, truly, appreciated. Thank you all again!


	23. Four Scars Part Three

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Twenty-Three: Four Scars Part Three_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

You awaken abruptly, laying on your back. After a jumble of confusing thoughts, your mind is instantly filled with images and memories of last night in the showers, and your stomach tightens as a tremor runs through you. You inhale deeply through your nose, and the faint scent of mint and wild-berry makes your heart ache with a dull pain.

You open your eyes. First your left- just a bit- until you realize the room is still dark. Now, your right eye joins your left, and you see the faint outlines of your bed above your head.

You slowly become aware of a warm sensation on your left arm. You turn your head to the left, and you're greeted with the view of Blake's naked back, wavy raven tresses cascading over her shoulder in a mint scented waterfall that pools on the bed between the two of you.

She's laying on your left arm, and you realize with no small amount of joy that you're not uncomfortable. The curve of your bicep seems to perfectly complement the slender, graceful lines of her neck. Her head rests on a pillow that the two of you share.

More-so, you realize, as you become more aware of your body, her fingers are securely entwined in your own, her right hand resting comfortably in your upturned left palm.

You sigh deeply, yet quietly. Contentedly.

Funny how you never realized that this is exactly what you've been wanting all this time. The first time you wake up with someone you care so deeply about in your arms, and suddenly you can't remember for the life of you how you managed waking up alone all this time.

You slowly roll over onto your left side, closing the distance between you and Blake as you carefully wrap your right arm around her naked waist. As you snuggle tightly against her back, nose buried in her hair, your heart hammers a staccato beat against your chest as you idly wonder how she feels about the whole thing.

It's obvious she considers you a close friend. Closer than she's ever had before.

 _'Is it enough?'_ You find yourself wondering. Your grip tightens on her stomach as you pull her tighter to you, and in response you feel her gently squeeze your hand. You squeeze back, suddenly afraid that this moment was naught but a dream and that at any moment you'd wake up.

Alone.

That thought makes your stomach tighten, and you gently nuzzle against Blake's neck in an attempt to ground yourself in reality before your thoughts get carried away.

 _'Is it enough? To be her close friend?'_

That thought claws at you, makes you feel ill. You're not sure if it's enough, and guilt settles heavily in your chest as you realize that you never meant to let it get this far.

You weren't supposed to.

You were never supposed to fall in love with her.

That last thought hurts more than any injury you've ever received. You squeeze your eyes closed and calm yourself as best you can by inhaling the sweet scent of Blake.

You understand now why your heart aches when you think of her. When you catch a trace of her scent with your weak human senses.

You understand now why thoughts of her fill your head, relentlessly distracting you from every task until you can see her again.

You love her.

You're sure she can feel you trembling against her. Afraid to wake her, you try your hardest to quell your trembling, but as you tense up, it only makes you shake harder.

Unconsciously you pull Blake yet tighter to your chest, and you hear her groan softly as the air is forced from her lungs.

"Are you trying to kill me?"

You open your eyes as you hear her soft, breathy voice. There's a teasing tone to her sleepy voice, and your breath hitches in your throat as it dawns on you that this is real.

She's here, in bed with you. She's awake now, and she hasn't pulled away.

This can't be the actions of two people who are just friends... can it?

"Sorry, Blake." You slowly relax your grip on her, but she places her hand over yours.

"Stop." She whispers quietly. She relaxes into your grip, pushing her hips back against your own.

"I don't mind." Her voice is low. "I like it."

"Y-you... ?"

"Shhh." She shushes you gently. She nuzzles her cheek against your arm, then places a gentle kiss in the crook of your elbow.

She lets go of your hand for a moment. Raising her hand up to her neck, she pulls all of her hair over her shoulder, baring her back and neck to you.

You bite your lip to suppress a groan. She has no idea what that does to you.

Your eyes slide down her slender neck to her slim, toned back. A little further down you catch a glimpse of her back dimples, right above two perfectly round buttocks, and you-

You freeze as you realize your lips are pressed to the back of her neck in a soft kiss, and you start to think that maybe she _does_ have an idea of what that does to you.

Her hand finds your own again, and she squeezes encouragingly.

"I like that too." Her voice is a barely audible breathy whisper.

You close your eyes for a moment, unsure of what to do. Disbelief walks hand in hand with the elation that screams through your body, willing you into motion.

After a moment, you pull away from Blake. She sighs- in disappointment, you have to wonder?- before you lean in and place another kiss on the side of her neck.

Blake inhales sharply, before a soft moan emanates from her throat.

A strange new desire bubbles up inside you, and you feel your self control slipping from your grasp. It's as if there's a feral side of you that wants to ravage the girl in your arms and you're beginning to lose your sense of rationale.

It was a foreign feeling, this desire.

Unthinkingly, of their own accord, your lips part ever so slightly as your warm, wet tongue slips out. You lick the side of Blake's throat, and she inhales deeply. Your teeth descend upon her neck in a gentle, teasing bite, and she writhes in your arms, pushing her hips harder against your own.

It was a foreign feeling, this desire. Yet, you welcomed it and all of it's strange behaviors.

You pull away from Blake slightly to lavish her neck with kisses, trailing them down her spine as you gently push her onto her stomach.

She relents under the gentle strength of your hands, and you push yourself up off the bed to hover over her now, blanket sliding to your waist.

You support yourself with your left hand on the bed just above Blake's shoulder as she spreads out on the bed on her stomach, head turned to the side and eyes closed.

Your right hand comes up to gently caress her neck, before sliding down her back to stop at her hips.

Every curve of her body is perfection in your eyes, and you take in every detail. Every hard cord of muscle hiding just under incredibly soft skin. The way her toned upper back narrows to a slender waist before flaring out into wide, enticing hips.

You can't describe the feelings swirling through you. You can't place a name to them, you've never experienced them before. You're driven by instinct and the desire to be _closer_ to this girl.

To be one with her.

You lean down, the mere feet between you too much to bear. Your lips fall upon her back as you kiss every inch of flesh you can reach; shoulders, back, all the way down to her hips and back up again.

Yet it isn't enough. It only feeds the desire that you can't identify inside you, it doesn't satiate it.

You need more of her.

She's moaning softly now under the ministrations of your hands, but you're not sure who's getting the better deal; her, getting her back caressed and muscles massaged, or you, for getting to be the one to lavish this attention on her.

You feel strangely honoured to be allowed to touch and caress this naked beauty beneath you. The trust she's placed in your hands speaks volumes about what she thinks of you without her having uttered a word.

Yet, it isn't enough.

Your lilac eyes fall to her beautiful face, partially obscured by her wavy hair. Her eyes are closed and her lips are parted, cheeks tinted a light shade of red as her breath comes a bit heavier than usual.

It isn't enough. You need more.

Gently, you reach out and place your hand on her shoulder.

"Blake." Your voice is a whisper, and you almost don't recognize it as your own, so heavily distorted by desire.

Evidently she feels the same, as you notice her ears twitch before she opens her eyes. She pushes herself up off the bed half way to twist and look at you.

"Yang? Is everything-"

She's cut off as you effortlessly, yet ever so carefully, push her over, turning her onto her back. Even now she's in tune with your intentions and motions, and she twists her hips and effortlessly rolls onto her back. Now, she stares up at you wordlessly, dark gold locked to lilac as she reaches up to brush messy golden hair from your face.

You close your eyes as she caresses your cheek. Her lethal hands are feather light upon your cheek, and you find yourself rubbing your face against her hand. You crave more of her touch, you want her hands all over your body. The strange, unknown desire is growing steadily in your chest, spreading to your stomach and making you feel nervous, yet also empowered and confident.

Her other hand joins the first, and she cups your face gently. You open your eyes to find her staring at you with those beautiful, loving eyes.

The last of your defenses crumble.

Your heart breaks.

"I'm sorry." You whisper.

Her eyes widen, and her lips open to speak.

You don't give her the chance to. You lean down and close your eyes as you press your lips to hers.

She doesn't react at first, and it feels like your heart is going to stop dead in your chest. You took a chance kissing her, knowing that you couldn't just be close friends any more. That wasn't possible. It's all or nothing now.

Finally, your heart seems to restart as she kisses you back. She wraps her arms around your neck and pulls you tightly to her.

You let yourself be pulled closer, falling on top of her as you press your bodies tightly together. Every inch of your body craves contact with her, as if the slightest separation would spell the end to everything you've worked so hard to build.

You weren't expecting her to push you to the side. Caught off guard, you roll onto your side, and she carries the momentum. Rolling on top of you, she straddles your waist as she tangles her fingers in your hair, kissing you like her life depended on it.

Your arms encircle her naked waist, fingers digging into her hips as you clutch her tightly to you.

Finally, the sweet taste of her lips leaves your own as she slowly pulls away. You open your eyes to see her staring down at you, liquid pools of gold shining brightly in the darkness.

Your heart once more screams dully in your chest at the sight of her loving face, and you blink back tears as you take a deep breath.

"Blake." Your voice is shaky, but you attempt to ignore it.

Her ears flick forward at the sound of your voice, and she blinks twice before tilting her head to the side.

"Yang?"

Arms still around her waist, you lean up a bit to reach her shoulders. Gently you lean back and pull her with you.

She doesn't resist as she falls on top of you, nuzzling into the crook of your neck.

"Blake, I... "

She makes a small questioning sound in the back of her throat, lips teasing against your throat.

You close your eyes in a vain attempt to control yourself, trying to imagine the words you want to say. Anything to replace the images screaming through your mind, images of Blake on her back, head tilted in ecstasy as you passionately push your fingers deep inside her-

Your eyes snap open, and you bite your lip as your breath catches.

This was so far beyond friends, you couldn't deny it any longer.

Damn.

You curse yourself. Of course you couldn't be content with what you had. You had to push it, you couldn't just leave it be.

She makes another impatient, questioning sound, obviously impatient with your distracted non-answer.

You wrap your arms tighter around her shoulders and entwine your bare legs in hers, afraid to let her go.

For her part, she revels in the attention, seemingly melting into your embrace.

"Blake, I... I'm sorry but I can't do this anymore."

She immediately tenses in your arms, completely frozen save for her soft, velvety ears rubbing against your cheek.

The stillness didn't last long, however, as she immediately began fighting your embrace, attempting to push herself away to stare into your eyes.

She always knew that she was no match for your brute strength though, and you steel yourself against her wild thrashes.

"Yang, what do you mean? What can't you do?" Her voice carries a higher pitch than normal as her hands dig into your shoulders, and it hurts, but you don't hate the pain.

You've never hated the pain she inflicted on you.

"Yang, are you... leaving me?"

Her voice is small and broken, and the fight leaves her almost instantly as she relaxes against you. A moment later, and you feel a dampness soaking your shoulder.

She's crying.

"Yang, you can't... you can't leave me. I'm nothing without you. You're my everything."

Her words soothe the rampant pain tearing through your heart, and you begin to believe-however small the spark of hope- that there's a chance for you two after all.

"I'm not leaving you, Blake." You whisper softly. "I could never leave you."

"Then what do-"

"I can't do _this_ any longer." You repeat.

"This... this pseudo friendship... relationship, whatever you want to call it. It's not enough anymore. I want you. I want you more than anything, so badly that it hurts."

She sniffles against your shoulder, but doesn't speak.

Your eyes turn to the bottom of your bunk as you contemplate the words you need to find to express thoughts you were sure you'd never speak.

"I'm sorry Blake. I thought I could handle what we had, but... I can't. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. You're thoughtful, and graceful, and... and... I can't describe the way I feel when you look at me. When you smile at me."

She slowly relinquishes her tight grip on your shoulders, her fingernails no longer digging into your skin.

Immediately you miss the pain.

"It should have been enough. To be by your side and be happy for every little touch, every smirk, every kind word. It should have been enough. Yet it isn't."

"What do you want?" She whispers, lips tickling your throat.

"You." You speak forcefully. "All of you."

She trembles against you as your hands slide from her shoulders to her lower back, covering the scar that you know resides there.

"I want all of you. I want to protect your back forever. I want to be by your side for the rest of your life, showing you every day that you're the most amazing person I've ever met, and trying my damnest to give you everything you deserve. I want to hold your hand through the good times and the bad, when you're happy and when you're sad. I want to be the one you turn to when it seems like it can't get any worse. When it can't get any darker, I want to be the one to light up your life. I want... I want you."

"I love you." You finally choke out, closing your eyes against the tears you feel welling up behind your eyelids.

"I love you so damn much it hurts, and I just can't do it anymore, I can't pretend that I don't. I love you Blake, with every ounce of my soul, you're the one I love and the one I want, and I don't know that I can settle for just friends anymore."

She's silent as she lays against you, and you feel her fighting to control her breathing. You wonder if she's angry. You wonder if she's conflicted, or disgusted.

It's silent for a moment.

And then another.

The bravado that filled your heart just moments ago that allowed you to speak your mind is fading fast, and you wonder what the outcome will be.

You wonder why she's so quiet.

You wonder if you'll be able to go back to being friends when all of this fails catastrophically.

You told her you couldn't, but the truth is, you'd rather die than live a day without her in your life.

You're absolutely sure of it. A life without her by your side wasn't a life worth living.

In the silence of the darkness, with only the sound of her heavy breathing in your ears, you have to wonder how you let yourself get to this point.

You have to wonder why you know you'd rather die than go a day without her by your side.

Finally she speaks.

"Yang."

Her words are a whisper, but each is carefully measured and thought out, as if she were reading from a book in a newly learned, yet mostly unfamiliar language.

"Yang, I'll be honest with you."

You tighten your grip on her, afraid that she'll somehow up and disappear, leaving you dark and hollow, never to return.

"I... I'm scared." She spoke quietly.

"I'm scared of what it means to go past just friends. I'm scared of what it means to admit that I love you and that I want you, in every sense of the word. I'm scared to fail and lose you forever. Call me greedy, call me selfish, but just know that I'm scared. I'm terrified. I'd rather have you for a friend as a lifetime, sharing beds and showers, than have you as a lover for a brief, fleeting moment before the passion fades and we start to distance ourselves from each other."

You want to interject, but you sense that she isn't done speaking, so you quite literally bite your tongue.

"Losing you from my life would be... I wouldn't be able to recover. That would break me. You're a very big part of who I am and what it means to be Blake Belladonna. You've shaped so much of me in this past year and a half, you'll never truly know how just how much of me is a distorted reflection of who you are."

For the first time in a while, mere words raise a heat to your cheeks that is usually reserved for shy glances and gentle touches.

"I cannot overstate just how much of me has been shaped by your words, your touches, your very presence. Yang, there's no one I would rather have in my life than you. To lose that... yeah, I'm terrified."

She takes a deep breath, and when she exhales it's broken and shuddering.

"I trust you, Yang. I trust you with my life, and with my body, and I want to trust you with my heart. I want you, I... I need you. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I can't see a worthwhile future that doesn't have you in it standing by my side."

"I trust you, more than I've trusted anyone. And I'm going to trust that you'll take good care of me. If you think... if you know that you'll always be by my side through everything that life throws at us, then I surrender myself to you. I give you everything I have to offer. My body, my heart. I love you, Yang. With everything that I am, with every bit of my heart, I love you."

Before you can speak, before you can react, she's pushed herself up. She reaches out and caresses your cheek before pressing her lips to your own, and as you lose yourself in the sweet tenderness of her kiss, you feel her tears land on your cheeks, mingling with your own.

Just one more part of her that belongs to you now, never to be separated.

* * *

Author's Note: I believe that the first two chapters in this series stand fully and completely on their own, and in a sense are 'complete', so consider this a bonus chapter. I just had to take it beyond mere friends, because the Bumblebee is nothing but pure love, no matter what form it takes. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Also, for those who've seen the most recent episode, help me, I'm dying. I watched it Saturday and I must have watched it four times already.


	24. Our Sun Will Never Set Part One

_Our Sun Will Never Set_

 _Chapter One_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

Author's warning: Mature themes.

* * *

You are nineteen when you meet her. A filthy, vagrant half-demon on the run from the exterminators in a changing world that seem to have no more room for your kind. Every rapid beat of your heart pumps fear through your body as you flee the human men hunting you, and for all of your half-demon strength, it is useless against their pursuit. You are tired; sleep doesn't come easy to you, and you're starving. You used to get by stealing food or by hiding your ears up under a hat and working for a few meager coins, but it didn't take a nobleman to realize that your golden gaze was a dead giveaway to what you truly were. Sometimes you found work with those who were too frail or too lazy to do it themselves, but more often than not, you were chased from their property or storefront under threat of death.

Your breath catches in your throat as you slam into the girl, and your headlong sprint knocks her to the ground, sending her skidding across the dirt path.

You don't fare so well yourself. The girl is much smaller than you, so you aren't knocked backward, but you find yourself sprawled face down in the dirt, palms and knees stinging as you hurriedly scramble to your feet. Your breathing is ragged now, and you can smell the acrid scent of dirt in your nose as you grit your teeth.

There are shouts behind you now, growing ever closer. You curse quietly, panicked eyes wide as you look around for something, anything, somewhere to hide even-!

The girl you collided with groans, sitting up and rubbing her head. She's small, probably only ten or eleven years old, if you had to guess.

You discard the thoughts from your head like so much trash, small furry cat ears on top of your head swiveling toward the sounds of rapidly approaching footsteps.

You curse again, and scramble to your feet. It's not your first choice, but you were never fond of being tortured or raped.

You quickly close the distance between yourself and the child on the ground. Before she can look up at you, you reach down with your left hand and grab her wrist, hauling her to her feet even as your right descends to your boot, where you withdraw a small sharp blade.

Her bright lilac eyes widen, and she stares at you with a mix of disbelief and fear.

You ignore those vibrant purple eyes.

Spinning her around, you wrap one arm around her throat as you bring the knife to her face.

Immediately she begins struggling in your ironclad grasp, and you lower your lips to her ear as you keep your gaze on the approaching men.

"Stop struggling or I'll gut you where you stand. Listen to what I say, and I'll release you unharmed." Your voice is low and threatening, and you bare your fangs and hiss quietly to enforce your point. To let her know who -what- you truly are.

Immediately she stops. She freezes in your arms as her chest heaves up and down, and she gulps air as three men with swords skid to a stop a few feet away from you.

"Filthy fucking half-demon, let her go. This is between you and us." One of them speaks, waving his sword side to side.

You move your shank closer to her cheek, poking her soft flesh with the tip as you struggle to catch your breath.

"Or, you three turn around and walk away, and she will walk away with you."

One of them takes a threatening step toward you, and your grip change is swift. You release her throat, but before she can move, your hands are entangled in her long blonde locks. You pull her hair roughly as you raise your fist, and she yelps in pain as she pushes herself up on her tiptoes to alleviate the tugging.

"I'm not fucking kidding." You warn, bringing your blade closer to her now exposed throat.

The sunlight glints off their armor as they shift their weight, looking back and forth at each other as they silently deliberate.

"Figure it out quick, or she dies." You speak quickly now, looking over your shoulder for any sign of someone approaching you from behind.

As your head is turned, you hear the clinking of armor. Whirling back around, you come face to face with a blonde haired boy as he takes a quick step toward you, his intent obvious as your back was turned.

Your eyes widen in surprise, before narrowing dangerously.

"Wrong move." The words escape your lips as you draw the blade across the blonde's throat.

You see his blue eyes widen in shock as a strangled gurgling reaches your ears, and hot blood spurts across your wrist. You let the body fall to the ground, entangled fingers ripping out a few strands of blonde hair as you turn tail and flee as quickly as your legs will carry you.

A quick glance over your shoulder shows them hesitating, looking between your fleeing figure and the girl bleeding out on the ground in front of them.

A moment's hesitation is all you need to put some distance between them and you, and the last thing you see before you round a corner out of sight is the three of them kneeling on the ground, looking at the girl.

You ignore the surprised looks of the people around you as you run as fast as your lithe legs will carry you, and you don't stop until your lungs burn and your eyes are blurry with unshed tears.

Your feet pound against the dirt streets as you let yourself slow to a walk, and you blink the tears from your eyes as you gasp for breath.

When your vision clears and your ears assure you that you aren't being pursued, you straighten up and look around, brushing dark raven strands from your forehead.

You suddenly take note of several of the dirty looks you're receiving, and you automatically reach up to pull the hood of your purple jacket over your head, obscuring your ears.

You blink a few times as your thoughts whirl around your head, and you reach into your pocket to pull out a black scrap of fabric. Reaching up, you tie it around your mouth and nose, knotting it at the back of your neck. With only your eyes exposed, you jam your hands in your pockets and bow your head as you carefully head out of the town toward the forest toward the east.

It would be best if you stayed hidden for a while after this.

As you escape the city walls without any further altercation, you absent-mindedly realize that there's something itching your fingers.

Pulling your left hand out of your pocket, you examine your hand closely.

Blonde strands.

Your eyes widen as you realize blonde strands of hair are tangled around your fingers.

You sigh heavily as you raise your troubled golden eyes to the sky overhead.

In all your years wandering this earth, you never thought you'd be a murderer.

Yet here you were.

Your eyes harden as you inhale deeply, smelling the fresh earth and damp grass in your nostrils.

Here you were.

You'd rather her than you. You weren't ready to die.

Not yet.

* * *

It's years before she crosses your mind again. You're not sure what triggered the nightmares, but you wake up drenched in sweat and gasping for air. You raise your hands to your face and your half-demon eyes have no trouble seeing them in the near-darkness that floods the room.

Strands. You can feel strands of hair wrapped around your fingers. Her strands.

You rub your fingers together, but the sensation doesn't fade. You decide to ignore it as you get up, kicking your feet over the edge of the cot and finding the floor. You kick your feet into your worn shoes, and pad toward the door. You push it open on silent hinges and make your way down the hallway toward the front door as you brush your long hair out of your face.

You aren't sure what made you think of that small girl after all these years, but you can still feel the light weight of her small, frail body pressed against your own as you hold the knife to her throat.

Over the years you've found yourself becoming somewhat religious, and in troubling times like this you turn to the deities to soothe your soul.

The door opens and closes on less than silent hinges, and you cringe at the sound of creaking wood as it disturbs the peaceful night.

You walk toward the back of the house, the only light that guides you shining down from the full moon high above.

Your irises are wide as you soak up all available light, and it might as well be evening for how well you can see.

There's a vast field stretching out behind your house, but you do not own the land. You don't even own the house you live in, but you've found someone willing to trade your labor for a roof over your head and scraps of food in your belly, and for that you are grateful.

You kneel down in the dirt, clasping your hands together as you bow your head. Your eyes slide closed and you suddenly feel naked and unprotected.

You know there's no one out there to hurt you, though. Out here in the country, away from the cities and their changing ways, people are more accepting of your kind.

Especially when your kind is willing to toil in the dirt.

You mutter a quick prayer, begging the gods to relieve you of your burdens and ease your strife.

After a moment's hesitation, you bow your head a bit lower, and beg the gods to remove the guilt that plagues you for what you did to that girl so many years ago. You know you don't deserve it, but if the gods have any mercy, if they hear your pleas, maybe they'll smile upon you and banish one burden from your shoulders.

After a few moments of contemplation, you stand and wipe the dirt from your knees. Turning your face to the heavens, you close your eyes once more as a gentle breeze rustles your hair and brings with it the scents of the forest. Dirt, leaves, trees and wildberries all find their way to your nose, and you inhale deeply, temporarily losing yourself in the peace and tranquility of the night.

Too soon, you remember you need to work in the morning.

You sigh deeply as you move back toward your humble abode, fatigue plaguing your body as fiercely as restlessness plagues your mind.

* * *

It's been a hundred years.

At least.

You lost count. Tracking the years as an immortal half-demon was never something that appealed to you.

The gods have not been kind to you.

It seems that praying in the dirt that night did not have the effect you'd intended.

More and more, thoughts of that young innocent girl filled your mind, and it threatened to drive you insane.

Keeping pace with the thought of her was the thought of yourself.

You were immortal. This meant you would never age, and never fall ill.

You looked down at the switchblade in your hands, and you slowly rubbed your thumb along it's sharpened edge, drawing blood.

It did _not_ mean you couldn't die.

Otherwise you wouldn't have run away all those years ago, and you wouldn't have killed _her._

You grit your teeth together as you flip the blade over, and lay it gently against your wrist. Your raven hair falls into your face, partially obscuring your vision, and with a practiced flick of your head, you can see once more.

Artificial light gleams off the blade, temporarily blinding you. You tilt the blade slightly, and the glare goes away.

You could go away too, you think.

It would be so easy.

For an immortal half-demon, it would be so easy to just... die. To go away, and _finally_ forget about her.

You want to sigh in exasperation, but you just can't find the energy within yourself to do so.

"...ke."

Taped down to your skull, hidden under your hair, you feel your ears twitching.

"Blake."

You blink at the sound of your name being called, and in an instant the switchblade is closed and up your sleeve. You raise your head and look around the empty waiting room, searching for the source of the voice calling your name.

"Blake?"

Your gaze focuses on the sound, and you turn to your left. There, there's a door open, and a beautiful blonde girl is peeking out, a grin on her face as she examines you.

"I'll see you now."

You blink for a moment, sifting through countless memories as you try to remember what is going on around you, where you are.

Images of dirt, working the fields, and modest meals flash through your mind, as well as images of the industrial revolution that lead to the subsequent discovery of Dust and everything that came with it.

The good.

Your ear twitches as she makes a questioning sound in her throat.

The bad.

You inhale slowly through your nose, and the faint scent of mint reaches your nose.

And the Grimm.

Your eyes widen and you hop off your chair, moving toward her open door.

She steps aside and makes room for you to enter.

You step inside, and she gestures you toward a soft bed. You sit carefully upon it, not wanting to disturb the crisp white linens.

"So, Blake, is it?" She asks, pulling up a rolling stool and sitting carefully upon it. You scrutinize her as she crosses her long legs, her white doctor's coat riding up on her bare legs.

"Er... yes."

"No last name?" She reaches up, pen in hand, to push small square black frame glasses higher up on the bridge of her nose as she smiles kindly at you. Her right hand comes up to adjust a black strip of fabric around her left wrist, before resuming it's position on her knee, ready to write.

For a moment your mind is blank, and you try to imagine the name you gave to yourself all those years ago.

"Belladonna." You finally stutter. "Blake Belladonna."

She scribbles something on a small pad of paper- you presume it's your name- before raising her gaze to look you squarely in the eye. Your golden eyes widen as you meet vibrant lilac.

"Well, Miss Blake Belladonna, my name is Dr. Yang Xiao Long. What brings you to my office today?"

All these hundreds of years you've been alive, and you still haven't perfected the art of deception.

"I... I'd like a prescription for sleeping pills." Your gaze flicks away from hers for the barest of seconds before you force yourself to hold her gaze. "I work night shift and sleeping has been difficult as of late."

She hums softly, staring at you even as her pen moves across her pad, seemingly writing perfect notes without even looking.

You cannot imagine how much time would have to be spent practicing to perfect a skill like that.

"Where do you work?" She asks conversationally.

 _Fuck._ You hadn't thought this far ahead.

"Er... excuse me?" You ask, stalling to buy yourself time.

She shrugs. "I asked where you work." No explanation, no justification.

"Uh... the central processing warehouse on fifth street... G5 Solutions."

You figure that's a safe bet. It's a real place, well known, and with enough employees going in and out all times of the night that you're sure she would be satisfied with the answer.

She stares at you for a moment, but there is no distrust in them, no questioning gaze.

She nods, pen moving fluidly as she writes it down. Still, she keeps her eyes on you.

"Forgive me for prying but... you know this is a clinic that specializes in Faunus patients, right?"

You nod slowly. Faunus. The new 'politically correct' term the government had given to the species that, only a couple hundred years ago, they had tried to exterminate from the planet.

"Yes." You speak. "I'm a... " You almost say 'half-demon', but stop yourself.

"... I'm a Faunus."

She nods slowly.

"Okay. That'll change what I prescribe you, then. Normal human medicine doesn't work well for you guys, unfortunately." She smiles apologetically.

"Now, I just need to take a few measurements. It won't take long, okay?"

She doesn't wait for your answer before pulling a small, cylindrical object from her breast pocket. She clicks a button on the back, and a bright light emanates from the other.

It's a small flashlight, you note. No bigger or thicker than the pen she was just using.

She uncrosses her legs and rolls toward you, motioning you close.

"I'm gonna need to see your ears." She speaks softly.

You reach up and tuck your long, flowing ebony hair over your shoulder, revealing your human ears.

She giggles cutely as she slaps her knee, shaking her head.

"Haah, no, sorry Blake, I'm going to need to see your Faunus ears."

Your face burns red as you realize your mistake, and you let your gaze fall from hers as you reach up to untape your ears.

As you do, she 'tsk's softly.

You wonder why, but she says nothing.

"I'm going to have to touch you, is that okay?"

You nod.

She slides closer, then pumps up her chair so that she's closer to your height as you sit somewhat uncomfortably upon the low bed.

"I'll try to be gentle." She says softly, before reaching out and caressing one of your ears.

A shiver runs down your back at the touch, and you close your eyes as you instinctively try to curl away from her.

Another soft giggle reaches your ears, and they twitch in response.

"Sorry, were my hands cold?" She asks. She brings them to her mouth and breathes on them a few times before rubbing them together.

"Let's try that again."

You're more prepared for her touch this time, and you don't pull away when she gently grips the edge of your ear between two soft fingertips.

She raises the light to your ear and leans in close to peer inside, and you slow your breathing self-consciously as you find yourself inhaling deeper and deeper to catch the barest whiffs of that enticing mint scent.

After a moment she hums softly, before pushing herself away and rolling to your other side.

She repeats the same hand-warming gesture as before, smiling brightly at you.

You allow yourself a tight-lipped smile at her antics, and she considers that good enough as she leans in to inspect your other ear.

It doesn't take long, and she clicks off the light, seemingly satisfied.

She writes a few things down on her pad, before sliding her chair around to the front again.

She's much closer this time, you notice.

Your heart hammers in your chest for reasons you can't quite identify.

She leans in close suddenly, making your eyes widen as you lean back away from her.

"Relax." She teases. "I just want to check your teeth, not kiss you. Now open up and say 'aaah'."

You open up, and the light clicks on again. She raises it up and beckons you forward.

You lean forward slightly, and she closes the distance between the two of you. She shines the light all around your mouth, and if you weren't feeling self-conscious before, you _definitely_ were now.

"Say 'aah'." She prompts once more.

"Aaaah." You say shortly, feeling quite foolish.

This was all new to you, you reflect. After all, you've never had a doctor's visit before.

She's satisfied after a second, and clicks off the light. She writes a few more things down on her pad, then looks up at you.

"How old are you?" She asks suddenly, throwing you off.

You raise an eyebrow at the odd question, then smirk, running your teeth over your fangs.

"Nineteen." You answer, grinning.

She nods. "So you're immortal, age indeterminate."

Your eyes widen at that, grin falling from your face as your jaw goes slack.

"How did you... ?"

She winks at you, raising her hand and tapping her nose with a slender index finger.

"That's for me to know." She says in a sing-song voice.

You can't help but feel entranced by her gaze, and something stirs inside you as your gaze bores into hers.

She sets down her pen and paper, and scoots closer. Much closer.

She gently pushes your knees apart, then wheels her chair in close so that her knees are between your own.

"I'm going to touch you again." She warns.

You nod, and she reaches out with both hands. Her fingertips find your throat, and she gently pokes and prods, squeezing various points of your throat and neck gently. She closes one eye and her tongue protrudes cutely from the corner of her mouth as she works, and you wonder exactly what she's looking for.

One hand leaves your neck and falls to her pad where she picks up her pen and scratches a few notes.

After a second her hand finds your neck again, and she smiles at you.

"Almost done." She says. "Now, I need you to inhale deeply, slowly, and hold it until I tell you to breathe out. When you do, I want you to hiss as loudly as you can, as fiercely as you can, okay?"

"Er... "

"Please?" She asks, tilting her head so cutely to one side. "It's important."

"O-okay... "

"Okay, inhale... "

You breathe in deeply, closing your eyes as you feel a heat rising to the back of your neck.

It's quite contrary to her cool hands on your heated skin.

"Hold it." She orders softly.

You hold your breath, chest swelled out and back straight.

"Bit longer... bit longer... and now, exhale."

You bare your fangs as your molten gold eyes open, and you breathe out and muster up the angriest, loudest hiss you can.

Her fingers prod your neck as you do, but you don't miss the way her eyes widen ever so slightly, fear and disbelief flashing for the briefest of moments in her lilac gaze.

She opens her mouth to speak, but you can't hear a word she says.

Your mind is filled with images of those beautiful lilac eyes, and the last time you saw them filled with a fear for you.

Your heart skips a beat as you realize who this person is.

"... but other than that, you check out all good." She says.

You shake your head, blinking away the disbelief that slowly fills your mind.

You can barely believe it, and you aren't entirely sure that this is her.

It can't be.

"Oh, and by the way," She says, tapping her pen gently against your knee.

"It's bad for your ears to tape them down line that. You're risking damage and infection. I know it's popular amongst Faunus to do so, but please, refrain from doing that, okay?"

You nod numbly, barely processing what she is saying as your gaze settles on her golden locks and you begin to examine her in a whole different light.

"I want you to try this instead." She reaches to her left wrist, and deftly unknots the strip of black fabric you spotted wound around her wrist earlier. Unfurling it, she smooths it out on her knee before scooting her chair closer to you and reaching up toward your ears.

Still numb, you barely register yourself leaning down until your forehead is nearly pressed to her bosom. Gently, carefully, she wraps the ribbon around your ears, and knots it in a bow.

"There." She says, clearly satisfied with her handiwork. She gives you a gentle pat on the head, and you pull away. Immediately you find yourself lost in her clear, sharp lilac eyes, and for the first time in a long time you find yourself struggling to remember what that young girl looked like, all those hundreds of years ago.

"Now," She says, sliding her chair over toward her desk as she tosses her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "About that sleeping pill prescription... "

You blink yourself out of your stupor, and shake your head. Hopping off the bed, you land deftly on your feet.

"Actually, Doctor Xiao Long-"

"Call me Yang." She interrupts, smiling at you.

"Uh, ah, Yang, I... I changed my mind." You say. "If I feel like I need them, I'll come see you again."

She seems surprised, but nods.

"Oh, okay. That's fine."

"Sorry to waste your time." You find yourself apologizing to a human for the first time since you can remember.

She smiles, waving her hand. "It's not a waste."

"Are... " You rub your arm, looking away as your ears twitch freely under your newly acquired bow. You look back at her, and her gaze drops from your ears to meet your gaze.

"Are you taking new patients?"

She nods slowly.

"I am. If you're interested, I could give you some paperwork to fill out."

You nod.

"I'd like that."

* * *

It had been a few days, and the completed paperwork sat on your dining room table, ready to go. You had stalled bringing it to her though; unnamed feelings fluttered through your stomach and made you feel sick at the thought of seeing her. Her kind words and gentle touches were something that you've experienced precious little of throughout your life, and it was an alien sensation.

You glance at the television in the corner of the living room, and an image catches your eye.

Slowly you move closer, and you pick up the remote from your couch to unmute the volume.

" -yet unclear whether it was a random act of arson, or whether the owner, Dr. Yang Xiao Long, notorious for giving heavily discounted and preferential treatment to Faunus, was intentionally targeted. Further investigations into the matter will reveal what has happened, but for now it's purely speculation. All that is known is that one badly burned body has been discovered inside the commercial space, presumably belonging to Xiao Long. As of yet, the remains are unidentified, and it remains to be seen whether or not the anti-Faunus group 'Full-Moon Bloodlines' will take credit for this attack, as they have for other terror attacks on Faunus and Faunus affiliates in the past."

The remote slips from your hand and clatters to the floor. You barely notice as you fall to the couch, legs suddenly unable to support your weight as images of a badly burned and blackened building fill your television screen. You can hear words, but you can't concentrate enough to make sense of them as disbelief wracks your body, followed closely by rage, and then sorrow.

You weren't sure what compelled you to believe, but you were sure that this was the same girl from all of those years ago.

Now she was gone, and you weren't sure you would ever see her again.

Tears fall unbidden from your eyes, surprising even you as you blinked in confusion.

Slowly your feelings for the doctor begin to flesh themselves out, becoming more tangible and understandable.

You make a startling realization, one that makes your golden eyes widen in surprise.

You realize that more than anything, you want to say sorry.

You want to say sorry for slitting the throat of an innocent girl with a vibrant, beautiful life ahead of her, that you selfishly snuffed out with a single swipe.

She wouldn't have understood, you realize.

But it might dull the guilt and the pain that festers in your heart every day.

You stare unseeingly at the grey carpet beneath your feet as the television drones on in the background.

It seems you've lost your chance to say sorry, to say goodbye, to tell her that it wasn't her fault.

You aren't sure you'll get another chance.

You raise your head from your arms, and your eyes find the papers on the table in the kitchen.

Beside it, the switchblade you used to open the envelope.

You push yourself to your feet, and wipe your eyes with the back of your arm as you sniffle softly.

Slowly, you move toward the table.

Your hands tremble as you pick up the switchblade, and tears blur your vision until you can't see any longer.

You flick it open, and raise your hand to your eyes to wipe the tears away once more. Slowly, you inhale a deep, shuddering breath.

* * *

Author's note: This will be a two chapter story. I hope you've enjoyed so far. In chapter seventeen, "Silently I Wander", I mentioned that I wouldn't mind doing a similar story to that one, only with Bumblebee instead of White Rose.

This is that story. I almost made this story a separate entry, due to it's content, but I feel that it fits the criteria of "Of Sunsets And Night Skies", so I'll be uploading it here. Drop me a review and let me know what you think.


	25. Our Sun Will Never Set Part Two

_Our Sun Will Never Set_

 _Chapter Two_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

You remember that dark time in your life with the barest hint of a smile. You weren't able to do it, you recall.

You weren't ready to die.

Not yet.

You remember the way your hands trembled uncontrollably as the knife slipped from your hand, clattering harmlessly to the floor. You fell to your knees soon after, sobbing uncontrollably as you struggled to accept the fact that you would never see her again.

You really couldn't understand it, and couldn't understand why.

You couldn't understand why you cared so damn much about what happened to that human all those years ago. After all, you had bigger problems to deal with. The landscape was changing.

Gone were the days of roaming the land unbothered. The discovery of Dust had lead to a revolution in the energy district, but had awoken the ire of the Grimm, a breed of soulless monsters that seemed to wander the planet in unending numbers.

No one was sure where they came from or why Dust seemed to attract them. Dust wasn't a perfect system yet, and there was much about it that wasn't understood.

You once again turned your heart and soul to a belief more powerful than yourself, and for a while you had a false sense of comfort and purpose. With the fate of your life turned over to a god that you weren't sure was looking out for you, you resigned yourself to wandering once more.

You've been alive forever, after all, and you still had forever to go.

* * *

The next time you see her, you're quicker to react.

You're sitting in a coffee shop near the window, watching the people and time pass by. You feel like you've already thought every thought that could be had, and your mind is blank as you sip slowly at a cup of peppermint tea.

It's a bright, beautiful sunny day out today, and you try to think thoughts to match the weather. The Faunus, what were left of them anyway, were slowly starting to get themselves organized into what loosely resembled an organization. As of yet nameless, it seemed that they all shared a common goal. They wanted to be treated as equals, they wanted to show that they weren't just thoughtless animals. They wanted to walk the streets side by side with humans, and there were whispers on the wind of peaceful protests and organized rallies.

It would be a while yet before they got any kind of progress done, you think. They were still in their infancy of planning and organization, and you were sure that it would be a few years at least before anyone saw any hint of change, any sign that anyone was taking them seriously.

Your ears twitch under that precious, treasured bow of yours as a bell softly tolls. Almost out of instinct, you look up to see who has come into the coffee shop, your disinterested eyes flicking to the front of the store.

As the small bell over the front door slowly rocks to a stop, your golden eyes widen when you see _her._

She's beautiful. She wears her hair differently this time, but _god, is she beautiful._

Her golden locks fall to just below her shoulders, much shorter than the last two times you've seen her. Her violet eyes are just as vibrant as ever though, and you find yourself unable to look away as she stares up at the handwritten letters on the chalkboard above the cash register.

You're not too far away from her. You could get up and reach out and touch her and-

-and what?

You're not sure.

But, you're not going to let her go this time.

You see she's made a decision, and watch as she approaches the cash register. There's a grin on her face as she exchanges words with the girl behind the counter, and you find yourself getting up, reaching up to brush your hair back behind your ear as you stalk toward her on silent feet.

You aren't sure what to do. Your interactions with people have been few during your long life, and even fewer still where you weren't fighting for your life.

You find yourself reaching into your pocket as you approach the beautiful girl standing there, and she finally sees you from the corner of her eye as you approach her side.

She turns to look at you now, and you break eye contact for only a moment as you pull your credit card from your pocket.

With a smoothness that you didn't know you possessed in situations like this, you tap your card on the scanner and it's back in your pocket before either her or the girl behind the counter can say a word.

"It's on me, today." You find yourself saying, as you lean against the counter and fold your arms across your chest. Your golden eyes find hers as you smile.

She stares at you for a second, before an easy smile breaks out across her face.

"Hey, thanks!" She says.

Her voice is light and playful on your ears, and you sigh softly as you tilt your head to the side. You study her a bit more, before realizing that you're quickly becoming creepy. That thought throws you off, and your next words are a stuttering mess.

"Uh, w-would you like to join me for a bit? That is, if you have time?" You point lamely to your table, where your tea patiently waits, growing ever colder by the second.

She looks away from you, to where you're pointing.

Back to you now, and she nods, sending your heart soaring.

"Sure thing! I'll see you over there."

She grins brightly at you, and turns to accept one of her items from the girl behind the counter.

You uncross your arms as you turn around, and as you walk back toward your table, it dawns on you what you've just done.

An unfamiliar heat rises to your cheeks as you sink into your chair, and as much as you try, you cannot keep your eyes off her as she waits near the counter for the rest of her order.

You take a moment to study her.

She's a bit taller than you. A dark red t-shirt stretches over a rather large chest, and she's wearing a pair of faded light blue jeans. Around her right forearm is a worn leather bracer, and it's so at odds with the rest of her attire that you're sure it will come up in conversation, so you don't have to be curious for very long.

When she receives the rest of her order, you quickly look out the window so as to not be caught staring when she turns around and begins walking toward you.

You can feel your heart hammering in your chest, and as she slides easily into the seat across from you, you finally tear your gaze away from the scene outside and look to her.

"Hey." You immediately curse your lame greeting, and you wonder where all your earlier bravado had disappeared to.

She doesn't seem bothered though, and her ever-present smile seems to get a bit brighter when she looks up to you from the pastry on her plate.

"Thanks for the kind act." She replies, gesturing to her coffee and pastry. Your eyes fall to the table shyly.

You aren't sure what to say, and your mind is racing as you realize that you are really NOT good with people.

So many things cross your mind. You want to reach out and touch her, to make sure she's really real. You want to apologize with all of your heart for what you had done to her all those years ago, but you're sure she would think you were crazy.

She doesn't know what you are, how long you've lived and what you've seen.

There's no way she could understand the pain you're carrying in your heart.

So there's no point telling her.

She wouldn't care, anyway.

You sigh softly, before raising your gaze to meet hers once more.

"No problem. I'm Blake." You say. "Blake Belladonna."

She surprises you by reaching out her right arm, hand extended toward you.

You pause for only a second before you realize what she wants, and you waste no time in putting your hand in hers.

"Nice to meet you, Blake! My name is Yang Xiao Long." She shakes your hand, and all too soon she releases her grip on you.

You place your hands in your lap, and try to etch the feel of her hand in yours into your mind.

You watch as she takes a sip of her coffee, licking her lips as she smiles at you. The sunlight coming in through the window beside your seat glints off her hair and shines in her eyes, and in this moment, for the first time, you are truly happy.

* * *

The two of you grew close over the following days. The following weeks and months saw you grow even closer than that. You quickly lose track of the time spent with her, as you soak up every moment in her presence like the desert dirt after a rainstorm. You come to learn that she's broken and hurting, much like you, but for very different reasons.

You're at her house, now. It's evening, and you've been talking since noon. Your conversation has slowly devolved into comfortable periods of silence followed by murmured words and shared looks.

You aren't really sure _why_ you're drawn to this enticing beauty, but somewhere between her soft laugh and her vivid iridescent eyes, you find yourself beginning to not care.

Something sappy like _soulmates_ comes to mind, but you don't really believe in that stuff... do you?

Another peaceful lull in conversation, and your eyes fall from her slender neckline to the gentle curve of her forearms.

Your liquid golden eyes land on the leather bracer around her right forearm, and it piques your interest just as strongly now as it did all those months ago when you first laid eyes upon her in the coffee shop.

"Yang, why... why are you always wearing that bracer?" You ask, readjusting your position on the couch beside her.

She smiles as she stares at her hands in her lap, and she sighs softly.

"Can I tell you a secret?" She asks, looking up at you.

You smile. "Only if I can tell you one too." You reply.

The corner of her mouth lifts a bit, pulling gently at the strings of your heart.

Slowly her deft fingers begin to untie the leather strip that bounds it tightly to her wrist.

You watch in fascination as she slowly, carefully unties her bracer, and when she slips it off, she presents her upturned wrist to you.

Your eyes leave hers, and fall to her outstretched arm. Your eyes widen as you see a multitude of long scars criss-crossing her wrist and tracking up her forearm, and you can't help but wonder what exactly this strong, beautiful girl is trying to run from.

"Whaaa... "

You're unable to form words as an icy fist seems to grasp at your heart. You reach out, and your eyes raise to hers in a silent plea for permission.

She nods wordlessly.

You take her right hand in your own, as your left comes up to delicately caress the marks left upon her skin.

Your fingers slide over the scars running up and down her forearm, and you cannot avoid the streaks of pain in your own as you imagine what this must have felt like.

"What... what are you running from?" You ask softly, placing your hand in hers and holding it tightly.

You refuse to release her, and she doesn't seem to mind as she grips your hand in her own.

"It's not what I'm running from, Blake. It's who I'm running to."

You feel like you're frozen in place and you can't tear your gaze away from hers.

"What do you mean?" Your breath catches in your throat, and your heart skips a beat at the sudden lack of air.

She doesn't look away from you, and you feel yourself getting lost in her strong gaze.

"I feel like there's... " She sighs as she struggles to find the right words to say.

"I feel like there is a part of me missing. I can't explain how or why, it's just an overwhelming feeling that I'm not whole. I'm not complete. There's someone out there for me, I know it. It just seems like I'll never find them."

Suddenly your earlier thoughts about soulmates doesn't seem so ridiculous. But was she really yours, or were you just fixated on a mistake from the past?

You weren't really sure at this point.

"Can I show you something?" You ask. Your heart hammers in your chest at the thought of what you're about to do, but you swallow your fear as she looks at you with nothing but patience and understanding in her eyes.

She nods.

"Anything."

You take a moment to breathe in an attempt to calm yourself down. When you're sure you won't lose your nerve, you slowly pull your hand from her grasp.

Two small trembling hands make their way to your bow, and you bow your head and close your eyes as your fingers find the ends of the ribbon with practiced ease.

One tug, that's all it will take.

One tug, that's all it takes, and the ribbon loosens around your ears. You feel the ribbon slipping around your ears as it falls away, and when you raise your head and open your eyes, you know that you are truly in her hands now.

She doesn't react at first.

Gold meets purple, and neither blinks, each awaiting the others' reaction.

Finally, you speak.

"Looks like we both have things we wanted to hide."

* * *

You picked up writing shortly after that. You meticulously wrote down every detail of every version of her you could remember. That small black book was your most treasured possession, and it went with you everywhere. In it were details of the day you met.

In it, you wrote the details of the night she died.

You can still see the way your hands trembled and tears stained the pages as you penned her death upon the pages.

* * *

 _It wasn't long after you bared yourself to her that she passed. You hadn't heard from her for a few days, and when she didn't answer your calls, you grew worried. It didn't take long to travel to her house, and when you arrived, you found the front door unlocked._

 _An uneasy feeling settled over you and seemed to chill you as you slowly entered. You debated for a moment about whether or not you should call her name, but desire got the better of your rationale and you yelled her name as loudly as you could._

 _You tore through the now familiar house as a sense of urgency grew in the pit of your stomach._

 _You already knew, but you didn't want it to be true. You could smell it._

 _You could smell the blood, and the disgusting scent of death._

 _You burst into the kitchen, and you fell to your knees as you saw her._

 _A scream of rage and despair filled the house as you cried at the sight of her lifeless body sitting at the kitchen table. Her face bore an expression of a peace found in death that you had never seen her wear before, even as her wrist bore the evidence of the peace that she had never felt in life._

 _You can't quite recall how long you clung to her body, weeping loudly and brokenly as you realized that you could have prevented this. She was searching for someone to love her and you could have been that person, and now she was gone and you had no idea if or when you would ever see her again. That thought tore at you as it whirled around in your mind over and over, and you wondered if you were destined to have her taken away from you for an eternity._

 _It was dark outside when you left the house. It was the perfect cover for you, as your ears twitched freely against the cold night air. Devoid of the ribbon that had covered them for so long, they twitched at every sound as if hearing it for the first time._

 _The ribbon that the doctor had given you so long ago had found it's way back to it's rightful owner, as you tenderly, lovingly, wrapped it around those ugly scars on her wrist._

 _You raised your head to the dark sky above as the sound of crackling flames reached your ears. As the flames grew brighter and the noise grew louder, you silently whispered her eulogy with only the moon and stars as an audience._

* * *

That book went with you to Beacon. You applied out of curiosity, and because it was getting harder to survive on your own out in the wild. Grimm were everywhere now, and you grew weary of fighting. You remembered your time serving as a metalsmith's apprentice, and you forged a weapon of incredible lethality.

Of course, not on your first try. It took many iterations to create a weapon you were truly happy with, but when Gambol Shroud was strapped to your waist, it was as comforting as the small black book that you kept locked in your hard shelled backpack.

You weren't expecting to discover her here. She had never been a fighter in any of her previous reincarnations, so you were quite surprised to see her approach you that night, with her sister in tow.

You exchanged few words, shocked at how vibrant and youthful she seemed in comparison to the past versions that you remember.

However, you were sure it was her. Your heart seemed calmed just by her presence, and you knew you absolutely had to find a way onto her team.

Somehow, you weren't at all surprised to discover that her weapons were gauntlets. Your bow twitches as you remember the last time you had caressed her bare wrists, and after so many years alone, you ache to caress her once again.

You were surprised at how receptive she was to you. She seemed to be in tune to your every thought, every move, and it was an amazing feeling to have someone keep up with you on the battlefield. Something akin to happiness flooded you when you fought beside her, and the way she smiled at you seemed to disarm you in a way you weren't entirely prepared for.

* * *

 _There was one more chance meeting with her before Beacon. It was brief and fleeting, but like all meetings, it was etched both into your book, and onto your heart._

 _You weren't supposed to be on your phone, you knew. Yet you were anyway. It was impossible to avoid the constant attention you received, both good and bad, for being a Faunus, and the digital era you lived in made it a constant, 24 hours-a-day stream of feedback._

 _You were reading a particularly hateful message on one of the several inane social media websites that cluttered your phone, and the grin that played across your lips seemed to only grow wider the more you read._

 _You were always amused by the creativity some of these people seemed to possess when it came to insulting you, and it never failed to brighten your day to hear that your mere existence was driving someone mad._

 _That same amused smirk was still plastered across your face when you stepped off the sidewalk to cross the street, and you barely heard the concerned yell of a passerby over the screeching of tires._

 _Your ears twitched as you looked up, and your eyes widened as you swiftly leapt out of the way of an oncoming vehicle that was attempting to slide to a stop._

 _You almost made it, but were struck in the arm by the side mirror protruding from the vehicle. It knocked you to the ground as pain erupted in your arm, and although you cursed softly between gritted teeth, you didn't make any other sound as you reached up to cradle your elbow close to your stomach._

 _Instantly, you could tell you had a broken arm. It could have been worse, you supposed, as you winced in pain, but you decided to look on the bright side._

 _Maybe you'd meet a cute blonde doctor._

 _You had to snicker through the pain at that thought, as the sound of concerned voices grew louder in your ears._

 _Once voice in particular seemed to attract your attention, and you pushed your messy black hair from your face as your ears swivelled around, trying to locate the owner of the voice._

 _You attempted to push yourself up from the ground with your remaining good arm, but the pain that lanced through your arm and shoulder made it nearly impossible. Before you could mutter a curse, there were gentle hands on your shoulders, pushing you back down as a soft voice in your ear urged you to take it easy._

 _You slumped back on your rear and cradled your arm closer, ignoring the sickening way your arm seemed to shift in a way that it shouldn't._

 _"Eaaaasy, babe. You'll be okay."_

 _You finally register the soft words and soothing tone, and look up to see a blonde-haired girl kneeling in front of you. Her face bore an expression of concentration as she stared at you, and through the haze of confusion you note that her gorgeous blonde hair is tied up in a ponytail this time._

 _It doesn't detract from her beauty one iota, you think, as you find yourself lost in her serious lilac eyes._

 _You watch in mild fascination as she reaches up to her hair, and in seconds her hair falls unbound around her shoulders as she produces a familiar black ribbon._

 _Her hair tie now in her hand, she gently takes your wrist and folds your arm across your stomach._

 _"This might hurt a bit, but it's for the best." She cautions you._

 _You can't even think of the pain in your arm right now, as you stare in amazement at the worn old ribbon that has made it's way back to you._

 _Carefully, she winds the ribbon around your forearm, then loops it around your shoulder and ties it in a small, neat knot._

 _A sharp, stabbing pain shoots through you as she inadvertently jostles your arm, but you bite your lip against the searing pain as you study her face._

 _She's barely looked at you, giving you a moment or two to trace every curve of her slender neckline and toned shoulder with your gaze and re-brand her visage into your mind._

 _All too soon she's gently helping you to your feet as an ambulance pulls up, and for a second the pain in your heart is a thousand times more powerful than the pain in your arm._

 _You haven't even thanked her..._

 _You reach out to grab her sleeve with your good arm as two medical professionals gently pull you toward their service vehicle. Your ears barely register the noise around you and the flashing emergency lights seem dulled in comparison to her vibrant beauty. You can't let her slip away again-!_

 _Your fingers barely connect with her, but she turns and raises her gaze to you anyway, confused lilac meeting longing gold for the first time in years._

 _"Can you-" Your breath hitches in your throat, and the look of confusion on her face increases._

 _You clear your throat and shake your head, willing yourself not to let her go without at least trying._

 _"Will you ride with me?" You gesture with a tilt of your head to the ambulance behind you, and she smiles demurely._

 _"Sorry, I have to get to class."_

 _"Oh... "_

 _Truthfully, you hadn't expected her to decline. The thought that you were just a random passer-by in need of assistance hadn't occured to you. What she meant to you was vastly different from what you meant to her, it was clear._

 _The way you chased her through time yet could never seem to quite catch or hold on to her should have been your first clue that maybe "soulmates" was just a romantic term to describe an idea that comforted the lonely and gave them false hope, and nothing else._

 _You aren't sure what to say here, and before you know it, you're being lifted into the back of the flashing emergency vehicle._

 _"Th-thank you!" You call out, and a small wave of satisfaction passes over you when she turns back to you and raises a hand in a gentle wave, smiling brightly._

 _"Take care." Are the last words you hear from her._

* * *

You close your eyes and lean back against the wall behind your bed. In your lap, your precious black book sits.

Never, in the history of all your encounters, has she been this close to you. Even in your most vivid dreams, fuelled by the most lonely of nights, has she ever been this close to you.

You aren't really sure what to do. Over the years your desire to apologize to her for what you did to her has waned. You realize it would be pointless. She wouldn't know, wouldn't understand, wouldn't care, even if you explained it to her.

Your desire to apologize has long since been replaced by the desire to get to know her. In all of her incarnations, in all of her forms, you want nothing more than to walk hand in hand with her from one life to the next. Although it tears your heart open to say goodbye to her for the last time, you know it's never truly the last time. And when you eventually find her again, the scars on your heart are temporarily healed when she smiles at you and introduces herself like you've never met before.

You're broken from your reverie when the door to your room opens. You raise your head from the wall and open your eyes as the most beautiful girl you've ever seen walks in, and you allow yourself a small smile.

"Hey, Blake!" The girl greets, waving at you as she strips herself of her weapons. They're tossed carelessly onto the bed above you.

"Hi Yang." You greet. "How was practice?"

She shrugs, moving toward your bed. "Would have been better if you'd been there." She doesn't elaborate any further though, and you suspect that she suffered a defeat at the hands of Nora.

She was never really able to hold her own against Nora, you think.

Not without you there to watch her back.

You raise an eyebrow as you smirk at her.

"So you lost." It wasn't a question.

She flops down beside you on the bed, and makes punching gestures in the air.

"Technically... yes." She admits. She sighs as you laugh, then rolls over to look at you with those enticing lilac eyes.

"What is so important about your book that you had to skip practice, anyway?" She asks.

You close the book and set it aside.

"Nothing, really."

"Aww, c'mon Blake, you promised you'd tell me one day." She furrows her eyebrows and tries her cutest pout.

You sigh softly as it seems to be working.

"Yang." You speak, carefully choosing your words as you stare into her eyes.

"Do you believe in soulmates?"

She doesn't blink as she returns your stare.

"What, like someone you're destined to be with forever?"

You can't stop the sad smile from spreading across your face at the thought of just how little you've been with the one you consider your soulmate.

"Something like that, yeah."

She looks away from you as she rolls onto her back, folding her arms behind her head as she stares at the bunk above you.

"Mmm, not really." She replies. "Why?"

You're silent, trying to process her answer.

Did it matter if she did or not? Would it have changed anything?

You aren't sure why, but her answer seems to have struck at you in a way you didn't anticipate.

"Blake? You okay?" Your ears twitch underneath your bow at the sound of concern in her voice, and your eyes widen as you realize that tears have begun trailing down your cheeks.

Hastily you wipe them on your sleeve, and you shake your head as you close your eyes, unwilling to look at your partner.

"Blake, what's wrong?" You feel the bed shift as she pushes herself up, then the mattress dips a bit as she moves closer to you.

You can't speak. You don't know how to tell her about everything that's happened, everything you've done and what you've lived through. Her lives, and her deaths, all convincing you that she was your soulmate, and that one day, if you worked up the courage and asked her, that you could have one fleeting lifetime of happiness together with her.

"Blake...?"

You open your eyes. Yang is inches from you now, and your golden eyes widen in surprise at the look of worry on her face.

Your heart hammers in your chest as you realize that she has never before been this close to you. Not physically, nor emotionally.

"Y-Yang... "

Your breath hitches in your throat as you whisper her name.

She moves closer yet, and her hand finds your leg.

"What's wrong, Blake?"

You can't take the worry in her voice any longer.

"Yang, have you ever thought of what it means to want to find your soulmate?"

She shrugs, and you know the confusion in her eyes are a result of your odd line of questioning.

"Blake, you've never been a religious or spiritual person before... what is going on? I'm seriously worried about you."

You ignore her.

"I'm serious Yang. Please... just answer the question."

She shakes her head.

"No, I haven't."

You bite your lip.

"Well, I have. No matter how long it takes, no matter how long I walk this planet, I will find her."

Her nose wrinkles cutely in confusion.

"Her... ?"

You ignore her.

"Yang, what would you do if you could live forever?"

Her eyes seem to darken in confusion, before she leans back slightly as excitement lightens her gaze and her tone.

"That would be awesome!" She exclaims.

You shake your head. "It really wouldn't." You answer flatly.

She tilts her head ever so cutely, fixing you with a questioning look.

"You wouldn't want to live forever?" She asks you.

You inhale deeply and close your eyes for a moment as you consider your answer.

She waits patiently for your response.

Slowly, you release the breath you've been holding. It comes out a bit shakier than you'd have liked.

You open your eyes, and fix your gaze on hers. Your heart pounds nervously in your chest, and you feel your breath catching in your throat as you reach out to gently caress her cheek.

"Yang, there's a difference between living, and truly feeling alive."

* * *

Author's note: Sorry this took so long. Reviews are appreciated. Thank you all so much for reading and following along.


	26. Something Different Part 6

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Twenty-Six: Something Different Part 6_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

"No, seriously," Yang insisted, twisting the top off a bottle and raising it to her lips. She took a swig before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I can totally do a standing backflip." She offered the bottle to Blake, who sat beside her on the ground a few feet from a dying fire.

Blake hesitated a moment, unsure if she wanted to amplify the effects currently running through her body from the last drink she'd been offered. Her golden gaze met enticing lilac, and she relented, reaching out to accept the bottle.

"I'm sorry, I just don't see it happening." Blake replied, raising the bottle to her lips and taking a small sip. "If you can do it, then do it."

A few feet away from Yang's other side, Ruby was laying on the ground with legs spread, propping herself up with her arms behind her.

"She totally can." She chimed in, glancing at the reluctant girl beside her and throwing her a smile. "You just have to get her drunk enough. It's not a problem with her skill, it's a problem with her confidence. Liquid courage is the best way to see Yang do a backflip and possibly roll an ankle."

Yang snatched the bottle of liquor from Blake and took another sip, before passing it to her sister.

"Hurr hurr, very funny Ruby. I twisted my ankle once, and that's because you fed me tequila."

Ruby accepted the bottle and took a sip, cocking an eyebrow at her sister over the bottle.

"So?" She asked, lowering the bottle and resting it between her legs. "I bet you sprain something tonight trying to show off for Blake."

Yang scowled and was about to reply, when Weiss spoke up.

"Err, is it really okay for Ruby to be drinking?"

Yang laughed, and tilted her head up to look at the stars shining high above her head.

"Weiss, we're forty-five minutes from any civilized town and we're three acres deep on private land. Even if anyone knew about it, no one could find us to do anything about it."

She lowered her head and shook her golden locks out of her face as she levelled her gaze at the raven-haired girl beside her.

"That's why I like it so much out here. It's freedom, plain and simple. We do what we want, when we want, and no one can say otherwise."

Blake found herself unable to tear her gaze away from Yang, and nearly missed Weiss' response.

"I suppose... " Was the reluctant reply.

Ruby tilted her head toward Weiss, smirking at her.

"You wouldn't feel that way if you shared with me." She teased, offering the bottle to Weiss.

Weiss eyed the concoction disdainfully, the scent alone enough to convince her that it was a far cry from the fruity wines she was used to.

"I think I'll pass."

Ruby frowned.

"Boo, sober Weiss is borrrrrring!"

"Excuse me?" Weiss bristled. "I am NOT boring!"

Ruby grinned, flashing her bright white teeth at Weiss.

"Then why won't you drink with me, Weiss-y?"

Weiss wasn't sure which irritated her more, Ruby's tone, her implication, or the nickname.

"I... " She faltered for a second, unsure of which issue to tackle first. Reaching up, she brushed a loose strand of silver hair behind her ear.

"I don't like the taste of that swill. I'm used to wines." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she instantly regretted it.

 _'Way to sound like a spoiled ungrateful princess, Weiss.'_ She berated herself.

Firelight danced in Ruby's eyes as she giggled, clearly amused with Weiss' answer.

"Maybe you're just not drinking it right." Ruby suggested.

Weiss' nose wrinkled in confusion.

"Drinking it right?"

"Here, let me help you." Ruby replied. Raising the bottle to her lips, she took a small sip. Setting the bottle down, she pushed herself onto her knees and before Weiss could react, straddled the older girl's lap as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Weiss'.

Weiss' icy blue eyes widened for an instant before the unexpected weight of Ruby against her forced her onto the ground on her back.

Ruby, however, never broke the liplock as she deeped the kiss, and she reached up to caress Weiss' cheek as she tilted her head to the side, forcing her tongue into her mouth.

"Oh damn, get it Ruby!" Yang laughed, as Blake watched with a mixture of horror and amusement as Weiss flailed ineffectually at the air before settling on grabbing fistfuls of Ruby's shirt and holding on tightly.

A moment later and Ruby released the girl beneath her, sitting up and giggling as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

For the first time that Blake could remember, she witnessed a speechless Weiss.

Weiss stared up at the red haired girl who straddled her waist, looking down at her with her head tilted so cutely to the side. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, muscles in her jaw tightening as she floundered for words.

"Y'know, " Ruby teased, winking slyly at Weiss, "Your glare says 'go away', but your grip on my shirt says 'come closer'."

"I- you-!" Weiss spluttered ineffectually before releasing her grip on Ruby's shirt. She raised a fist to her mouth to wipe at her lips, before slowly licking them.

Muted firelight danced in Ruby's silver eyes, glinting off the piercing below her right eye. Her eyes dropped to Weiss' lips, and she bit her bottom lip teasingly. Her gaze flicked back up to stare at Weiss.

"Get off me!" Weiss finally managed, bucking her hips as she pushed at Ruby.

Ruby laughed as she slid off the silver-haired girl's waist, falling to the ground beside her.

Weiss huffed in embarassment as she sat up, wiping at the dirt that clung to her clothing.

"Such a petulant child!" She growled. She was sure that if there were more light, her cheeks would resemble a tomato.

"Aww Weiss, don't be like that." Ruby pouted, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them as she looked up at Weiss with wide puppy-dog eyes.

Weiss made the mistake of glancing at her, then cursed softly to herself.

"No, I'm not looking at you." Weiss said, turning away pointedly. "That isn't going to work on me."

Ruby whined softly for a moment, before sighing.

"Suit yourself, then." She said softly. She leaned in toward Weiss, and gently placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"Gah-RUBY!" Weiss exclaimed, reaching up to wipe at her cheek. "The hell!?"

Ruby laughed softly as she scooted away from Weiss.

"That's what you get!"

Weiss' only response was an exasperated sound in the back of her throat.

Blake giggled, raising a hand to her lips to stifle a laugh.

"It's much funnier when it's not happening to me." Blake laughed.

Weiss shot her a half-hearted glare, before shooting an even darker one at Ruby.

"Pass me the vodka, Blake. I need to wash my mouth out." Weiss snapped icily.

Ruby laughed once more, a light-hearted sound that indicated that she took no offense to Weiss' tone.

Blake shrugged a shoulder as she reached out and retrieved the clear glass bottle from where Ruby had sat it down. Passing it to Weiss, Blake cocked an eyebrow as Weiss tilted her head back, taking a substantial gulp.

"Whoa, easy Weiss." Yang cautioned. "That's a little strong for a wineonly kind of girl."

Weiss set the bottle down beside her, then squeezed her eyes closed as she fought to suppress a cough at the burning sensation in her throat.

"I- " She stopped, blinking away tears from the corners of her eyes, before regaining her composure. "I can handle my alcohol, Yang."

Yang snickered, then tilted her head to look at Blake. Blake shrugged in response.

"Who are we to argue?" Yang asked, leaning back to reach into the cooler sitting on the ground behind her. She pulled out two cans of beer, and tossed one to Blake.

"To Weiss' alcohol tolerance!" Yang declared, popping the top on her beer with a large grin on her face.

Blake copied her movement, except her sip was far smaller than Yang's. Beside Yang, Weiss huffed in exasperation.

* * *

It was some time later in the night and the fire was burning low, barely a cherry glow against the skin of the four girls around it. Yang was laying on her back staring up at the sky, eyes tracing the Milky Way galaxy far above her head. Despite the large amounts of alcohol she had drank over the last couple hours, she was restless and far from sleepy. Her mind was racing, fixated on the beautiful dark haired girl who had just laid down beside her, inches separating them.

Weiss had reluctantly borrowed a few sweaters from Ruby, who seemed to have been the only one to think to pack extra clothes. Ruby had teased her about it, but Weiss was too chilly to relinquish her grip on the warm articles of clothing, and had one loosely draped over her lap as she leaned up against one of the tires of Yang's truck parked not too far away from the dying fire. She had another draped over her shoulders, scant protection against the hard knobby mudding tires.

Ruby was laying on her back a few feet away, staring up into the sky with her arms folded behind her head. This gave Weiss the perfect opportunity to study the girl without being noticed, and she blinked a few times to clear the fuzzyness from the corners of her eyes as she focused on the peculiar girl laying in front of her.

"Blake?" Yang's soft voice broke the silence.

"Hnn?"

Before Yang could stop herself, she rolled over onto her side, propping herself up with her elbow as she leaned over Blake.

The raven-haired girl inhaled sharply at the surprising gesture, and her golden eyes had trouble focusing for a moment on Yang's suddenly too-close face.

Yang supported herself with her left elbow as her right hand came up and rested gently on Blake's stomach.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on, Blake." Yang whispered softly. Beefore Blake could formulate a response, Yang leaned down and closed the distance between them, kissing Blake softly on the lips.

Blake froze for a second, before melting into the kiss, moaning softly as her hands found themselves entangled in Yang's hair.

Empowered by Blake's positive response, the kiss grew rougher and more passionate, Yang nipping at Blake's bottom lip before deepening the kiss. Blake moaned softly once more, before it faded to a quiet whimper that was music to Yang's ears. Blake tightened her grip on Yang, unconsciously pushing her hips up against Yang's hand that was tracing teasing circles on her stomach.

Suddenly Yang broke the kiss, pulling back slightly as she licked her lips hungrily.

"Blake... "

Blake closed her eyes as she pulled Yang down for another quick kiss on the lips.

"Yeah, babe?" Blake asked, voice low as her golden eyes burned with scarcely concealed desire.

A deep blush stole over Yang's cheeks, although whether it was from the pet name or something else, Blake wasn't sure.

"I... " Yang stalled, lilac eyes breaking the staring contest they seemed to be having. Her hand left Blake's stomach to push her messy blonde locks out of her face, before returning her hand to Blake's stomach, albeit a bit lower this time.

"There's something I wanna do... " Yang trailed off, her confidence failing her for the first time.

Blake's eyes widened, and she could feel her ears twitching despite being pinned down and taped to her skull underneath her hair.

"Y-yeah?" Blake asked. Her heart hammered in her chest as she looked up at the beautiful girl above her. "Like what?"

Yang leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Blake's throat, earning a contented sigh from the girl underneath her.

"Can I... can I see the rest of your tattoo?" Yang asked.

Blake's eyes snapped open, and her breath hitched in her throat as she looked to Yang confusedly.

"Th-that's it?" Blake asked.

Yang had to wonder if she were imagining the disappointment in Blake's voice.

"Err... yeah?" Yang replied uncertainly, taking a moment to look back over her shoulder at Weiss and Ruby.

"Oh... Of course." Blake said softly.

A wide grin split Yang's face, and she hummed happily.

Blake sat up carefully, making sure not to set her head spinning too much as she reached down to grasp the hem of her shirt in her hands.

With one smooth movement, she peeled the sleeveless shirt up and over her head, dropping it to the ground beside her. Bowing her head, she exposed her neck to Yang, pulling her hair over her opposite shoulder.

Yang scooted a bit closer, then leaned in to take a closer look at the tattoo she had only ever gotten teasing glimpses of.

Starting at her neck and going down over her shoulder onto her back was a script, and in the low light of the smoldering fire, Yang found herself leaning in close to read it, breath tickling Blake's skin.

" _In the dying rays of our final sunset_

 _we watch the shadows grow tall_

 _As the light fades from our last day_

 _the moon will rise and so will we_

 _together in death, as we were in life"_

Yang's eyes widened as she read the script, and she ran through it once more in an attempt to burn the words into her mind.

"Wow. That's... "

Yang wasn't sure what to say, as Blake shyly put her shirt back on. Yang stared at the black haired girl as Blake straightened her shirt, flicking her hair out of her collar and over her shoulder.

"It's... nothing special." Blake shrugged, looking at the ground as she pulled her knees to her chest.

"It's beautiful." Yang said softly, scooting closer to Blake. "Is there a special meaning to it?"

Blake raised her head and glanced sideways at Yang.

"Yeah... but it's a long story." She replied quietly, before returning her gaze to her feet.

"Oh... " Yang studied Blake's profile, wondering what was going through her mind.

"Well, I'll listen if you ever feel like talking."

Blake offered up a half smile in response, but said nothing.

Yang was quiet for a moment, then suddenly she was on her feet. Blake looked up and watched curiously as Yang approached her sister, nudging her with her foot.

"Eh? Yeah Yang?"

"You and Weiss can sleep in the truck tonight. Fold the rear seats down, there'll be tons of room."

"Are you and Blake taking the front seats?" Ruby asked.

"No, if we recline the front seats, there won't be as much room in the rear. We'll sleep in the box tonight."

"Mmm, okay. Are there blankets behind the rear seats?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah, I'll be taking two, and there's a third there for you two."

"Alright. Bed time, you think?"

Yang nodded as she rubbed at her face.

"Yeah, I'm getting pretty tired."

Ruby sighed softly, then stood. She patted herself down, ridding her clothing of dirt before approaching Weiss, who was still leaning against the tire, watching the sisters quietly.

"Ready to sleep for a bit?" Ruby asked, extending a hand out to Weiss.

Weiss eyed her for a moment, before nodding. Reaching out she grabbed Ruby's warm hand, and allowed herself to be gently pulled to her feet.

Ruby grinned at her before releasing her hand, and pulled open the rear door to Yang's truck. With a quick pull on the lever on the bottom of the seats, she folded them down flat into a makeshift bed. Behind the seats were a few folded up blankets, and she pulled two out and tossed them to Yang.

"Hope that's enough." Ruby said, gesturing to the blankets.

Yang flashed her a toothy grin. "Oh, it'll be enough to keep us warm tonight."

Behind her, Blake was pushing herself unsteadily to her feet, and Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Be good." She warned. "If the truck starts rocking, I'll kick the back window."

Yang's lilac eyes slid to Weiss for a split second, but decided against a scathing retort when she caught sight of how tired the girl looked.

"See you in the morning, Rubes. Night Weiss."

Weiss hummed a non-committal reply, before hauling herself up into the truck and laying down on the floor of the truck on her stomach.

Yang raised her eyebrows as Ruby turned to look at her, and shook her head.

"Keep your hands to yourself if you want to keep them." Yang whispered cheekily, before taking Blake's hand and pulling her to the back of the truck.

Ruby chose wisely not to answer, and instead crawled into the truck beside Weiss, closing the door behind her.

Yang dropped the tailgate to her truck, and hopped up into the box with practiced ease. Laying out one of the blankets on the cold steel box, she turned and offered a hand to Blake.

Blake accepted Yang's hand, and Yang hauled her up into the back of the truck.

Blake kicked off her shoes as she yawned, and laid down on the blanket. Yang copied her movements and laid down beside her, pulling the second blanket over them and pulling it up to her chin.

Immediately Blake turned on her side, staring at Yang with half-lidded sleepy eyes. Yang rolled over to face her, and smiled as she reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Blake's ear.

"I meant it, what I said earlier." Yang said softly.

Blake hummed softly, blinking as she refocused her gaze on Yang.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"When I said you were the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on. I meant it."

Blake looked away, clearly embarrassed, but Yang reached out to caress her cheek and gently tilt her head back up until they were staring into each others' eyes once more.

"Goodnight, Blake. Tomorrow will be a wonderful day, waking up beside you."

Before Blake could think of a response, Yang leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft kiss, smothering any potential response.

* * *

"Weiss?" Ruby whispered.

"Hnn?"

"Are you awake?"

"Of course I'm awake, you're talking." Weiss' words were scathing, but her tone lacked any real frustration.

"Why are you so far away?" Ruby asked. "Come closer."

"No. I'm fine here."

Ruby sighed, looking at Weiss' back as Weiss faced away from her, laying as far away as she could in the relatively tight space of the back of the truck.

"Please?" Ruby asked. "Just to talk for a bit?"

Weiss sighed exasperatedly, before rolling over slowly to face Ruby and scooting a few inches closer.

"Happy?" The icy blue-eyed girl asked.

Ruby smiled happily at her. "Very much so."

"So? What did you want to talk about?"

Instead of responding, Ruby pushed herself closer, closing the inches between them and kissing Weiss on the mouth.

"Hmph!" Was Weiss' elegant response as Ruby pressed herself upon her, and for a second Weiss seemed frozen.

Ruby prepared herself for a freakout, she prepared herself to be violently pushed away, but what she wasn't expecting, and what she hadn't prepared herself for, was Weiss kissing her back, hard, reaching up to encircle Ruby's waist.

Ruby fell to the floor of the truck as Weiss twisted over, pushing Ruby down as she nibbled gently at her bottom lip. Weiss relinquished her grip on Ruby long enough to sneak a hand under her shirt, caressing her stomach as she forced her tongue into Ruby's mouth.

Ruby moaned softly as she clawed at Weiss' back through her shirt, entangling their legs together as Weiss broke the kiss to nip feverishly at Ruby's throat.

Ruby's breath came in short, panting gasps as Weiss sucked at her throat, hand leaving Ruby's stomach to grab her hair and tug gently. Ruby groaned softly as she tilted her head sideways, and Weiss attacked Ruby's exposed throat with a raw, heated passion that left Ruby breathless.

"Wha... what changed your mind?" Ruby panted, her hands clawing ineffectually at Weiss' shirt.

Weiss threw a leg over Ruby's waist and straddled her, sitting up to stare down at the red-headed girl beneath her.

"I don't know, I'm not supposed to do this." Weiss whispered, biting her bottom lip in hesitation.

"What do you mean?" Ruby took this reprieve to sit up slightly and pull off her shirt. She threw it away-somewhere, she didn't care- and her chest heaved as she breathed deeply, a black bra the only thing covering her upper body now.

"This. Us. You." Weiss said. "You're... young. And a girl. My father wants me to marry a nice man and carry on our bloodline. This... this is wrong. I'm not allowed to be like this."

Ruby did her best to ignore the painful feeling in her chest, and she tilted her head to the side as she stared up at the white-haired girl straddling her hips.

"Give me a try. You never know, I might be just right. And if not, we'll never speak of it again after tomorrow."

Weiss stared at her pensively, but Ruby could tell that the alcohol was making her second-guess her reservations. Her glassy eyes seemed to darken for a moment, then she nodded slowly.

"Promise that no one has to know?" Weiss asked hesitantly.

Ruby nodded, smirking at the older girl.

"No one, I promise. This'll be our little secret."

* * *

Author's Note: Enjoy, more to come soon. I'll double check this tomorrow for spelling errors; I've been writing with my eyes closed the last hour or so; exhausted. Ah well, have a wonderful night.


	27. My Right By Force

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Twenty-Seven: My Right By Force_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

The sun was setting now, a giant ball of brilliant fire burning low on the horizon that cast a gentle warmth upon your back as you sat tall upon your horse.

Your horse, Freja, stood seventeen and a half hands high and had no trouble bearing the weight of you and all of your armor and weapons. You reached out to pat at her neck affectionately as she pawed impatiently at the ground, huffing softly at your touch.

"Easy, Freja." You murmur, raising your eyes from her bright white mane to the small collection of huts some ways down the hillside in the bottom of the valley.

Your hand leaves her to run through your own glorious blonde mane, and you push your hair back out of your face as a cool northern wind rustles your clothing.

At your side dangles a razor-sharp bastard sword, wielded with two hands by most men, but often swung single-handedly in a blind rage fueled by bloodlust. On your other hip is a small metal circular shield, an item that has seen much wear over the years. It bears the scars of sword strikes and arrows alike, and has been mended more times than you can remember.

Your upper body is covered by thin leather armor over a thin black cloth sleeveless shirt, and your lower body is clad in black knee length shorts of similar material. Your lower body armor is scarce, as you prefer to dodge lower body strikes rather than block them. Boots of sturdy leather construction grace your feet, made from the finest quality material you could find.

You rode with a small force of four men, your strongest and most trusted warriors.

There were two on each side of you, awaiting your command. Each was armed to the teeth and each possessed the killing power of three men.

Normally, your small group operated as mercenaries, killers for hire and loyal to the highest price.

Tonight, however, the gold coin did not beckon. You fought for no man, lord, or God. Tonight, it was personal.

Tonight you were chasing a legend. The whispers on the wind told you that you would find what you sought here, in this small mountain base village.

You licked your lips hungrily as the setting sun slowly sunk below the horizon, the last dying rays fleeing the darkness that rushed in.

You look to your left, then your right. Slow nods confirm their readiness.

"Remember, " You speak softly, your tone low. "If you find her, leave her alive, and bring her to me."

A chorus of grunts and sounds of affirmation reach your ears, and with the wind whipping through your hair, you draw your sword and spur your horse into action.

* * *

 _Your muscles were weary as you unstrapped your armor, and it fell unceremoniously to the ground as you sighed in exhaustion. Dried blood pulled at your skin as you raised your right arm to rub at your face, the arrow wound in your shoulder pulsing in pain._

 _Your arm fell to your side as pain lanced through your shoulder, and you growled softly in pain._

 _"Oi, wench!" You snarled, turning to face the dark-haired girl standing just behind you. She jumped slightly, startled by your aggressive tone, before meekly raising her head to meet your irate gaze._

 _"Y-yes, master?"_

 _You tilted your head toward your shoulder, raising an eyebrow questioningly._

 _"Are you gonna fix this, or just pace around behind me?"_

 _"Of-of course." Her voice trembled in fear, and you let yourself fall to the cold hard ground beside the fire as she approached._

 _She lithely fell to her knees beside you, and you turned away from her as she reached out toward your shoulder._

 _At your other side, one of your men approached you with a horn full of mead. With your left hand you reached out to accept the drink, and you nod your appreciation to him. Raising the horn to your lips, you down the warm liquid with thirsty gulps._

 _After draining half the horn, you sigh in contentment as you faintly become aware of the feeling soft warm hands on your shoulder._

 _You ignore the healer at your side as her fingers caress your skin, until her voice reaches your ears._

 _"Y-you need to remove your shirt to give me access to your wound." Her voice was meek and she bowed her head as she spoke._

 _You rolled your eyes at her, before thrusting your horn into her hands. She fumbled with it, almost dropping it, before clutching it tightly with both hands._

 _You reach down to your waist with your left hand and grasp the hem of your shirt. Pulling it up over your head with some difficulty, you curse as the fabric rubbed against your open wound._

 _The healer beside you hurriedly passed off your horn to one of your men, and reached out to assist you with your shirt. Her careful hands pull the fabric away from your wound and guide the shirt down off your arm._

 _You let it fall to the ground as you sit up straight again, the cool air teasing your now bare chest._

 _Immediately you reach out and take back your horn, taking another sip of the delicious mead. Soon the healer's hands are back at your bare shoulder, and you feel dull pain as she carefully digs out peices of arrow shaft from the wound._

 _You wince as a sharp piercing pain lances through you, and your head whipped around to glare at the healer at your side._

 _"Oi, wench, go a little easy, it's been a long day."_

 _"Sorry!" She apologized, bowing her head once more._

 _You sighed softly as she resumed her work, and you raised your eyes to the darkening sky in an attempt to ignore the dull pain in your shoulder._

* * *

Someone has spotted you and your approaching men, and the alarm is raised as you approach. A long, low tone penetrates the air as men flow out of the huts armed to the teeth, and a wild grin passes over your face as they rush toward you and your men.

The wind whips at your face as you swing your bastard sword with your left hand, sweeping low as you lean over the side of your horse. The tip of your blade connects with the throat of the enemy, and slashes it wide open as hot blood splashes across your forearm. The enemy drops to the ground with a strangled gurgle as blood flows from his throat, and you barely have time to register the life fading from his eyes as you pull back on your reins.

Immediately your horse skids to a stop, and you dismount. Your feet land in the dirt, and you spin around, sword raised high and prepared to strike.

From the corner of your eye you watch as one of your men runs through another, sword effortlessly sliding through the foe's stomach and protruding from his back. A choking scream reaches your ears, and a grin widens across your face.

Suddenly your vision is filled by an armored man with a battle axe, and he raises it high above his head. He brings it swiftly down toward your head, and you barely get your heavy bastard sword up in time to parry the blow.

With a clear, vibrant ringing song, steel meets steel and the vibration numbs your hand. You grit your teeth and tighten your grasp on your sword handle as your right hand reaches toward your hips. Unhooking your shield with your right hand, you bring it up and smash the edge into your opponents wrists.

A grunted curse reaches your ears as he loosens his grip on his axe, and you deftly sidestep away from him as you twist around. Putting as much momentum into your sword as you can, you level it at his head as you pivot on your heel.

The blade hisses through the air and connects with his throat. The blade barely meets resistance as it cleaves his head clean off, dark red blood instantly soaking you from head to toe.

You raise your foot and viciously kick the headless corpse, and it splatters onto the ground with a sickening thud.

Lilac eyes widen in pleasure as a twisted grin contorts your face, and you push your sticky red-streaked golden hair out of your eyes as you lick your enemy's blood from your lips.

* * *

 _Delicate fingers daintily wrapped clean white bandage around your shoulder, then patted it gently, satisfied with her work._

 _"You're all clean and bandaged up." She said softly, not daring to raise her head to look you in the eye._

 _You turned to look at her, disdain curling your lip._

 _"Then what the fuck are you still sitting here for?" You growled._

 _She flinched away from you, as if you had reached out to strike at her. "Sorry." Was her panicked response. You glared at her as she packed up her supplies into a small white bag, before bowing deeply and scurrying backward._

 _You eyed her small lithe form as she disappeared into your makeshift tent, then put her out of your mind as you turned back to the fire. You and your men had suffered a catastrophic defeat today. You had all made it out with your lives, but you had failed to kill your target, and had lost out on a large gold payment. Now, your target was aware of the attempt on his life, and would no doubt be on high alert from here on out, making your job doubly difficult. His men had tracked you and yours through the forest where you had beat a retreat, and none of you had made it out without some sort of debilitating injury._

 _You were not fucking happy._

 _Cursing softly, you whipped your horn into the fire in frustration, listening to the hiss as mead evaporated upon contact with the hot flames._

 _Pushing yourself to your feet with some difficulty, you cradled your arm close to your stomach as you turned and made your way toward your hut._

 _"Vanir, Hegg, take first watch. Wake me when it's my turn. We must not surrender our guard tonight, else we might not wake up in the morning."_

 _Sitting at the fire, the two men raised an arm in silent acceptance of your orders._

 _You stalked angrily toward your tent, pushing aside the privacy flap that hung in the doorway._

 _As you did, you caught a glimpse of the healer twitching in surprise at the sudden noise and movement._

 _You entered your tent and saw her sitting on the ground at the foot of your bed, where you had ordered her to wait until you required her services._

 _You stripped off the rest of your clothes and laid your sword beside your cot, within easy reach. You dropped onto your bed, wincing as you jostled your shoulder._

 _"You got anything to dull the pain in that bag of tricks?" You asked roughly, pushing yourself up on your good elbow._

 _The girl raised her head to look at you, then swiftly looked back down at her lap._

 _"I... Sorry, no, I haven't found any decent herbs during my foraging."_

 _Like lightning streaking across the sky, you lunged toward the foot of your cot. Grabbing her roughly by the black leather collar around her neck, you pulled her face close to yours._

 _Her golden eyes widened in fear as the cat ears atop her head flattened themselves against her skull, and she tried to pull away from you even as her gaze slid down and to the side, refusing to make eye contact with you._

 _"Tomorrow you will find something to ease my pain, or you'll be feeling some pain of your own." You threatened._

 _She nodded, trembling violently in your grasp. You roughly jerk her collar once more, earning a yelp of pain from her._

 _"Lay the fuck down." You growl, jerking her toward the bed. She has no choice but to follow, the leather collar digging painfully into her neck._

 _She laid down upon the bed, and you lay down beside her, pulling a soft blanket over the two of you before wrapping an arm around her waist._

 _Closing your eyes, you tried to ignore the dull thudding pain in your shoulder. Instead, you inhale deeply through your nose as the soft mint scent of the healer flooded your senses._

 _She didn't know it, but it was an empty threat._

 _You wouldn't kill this girl, she still had her uses._

 _She trembled softly in your grasp as you pressed your naked chest against her back, but you block it out as exhaustion floods through your body._

* * *

You might as well have been slaughtering children, you think, for how easily you and your men ran through their ranks. Dead bodies littered the ground, almost floating in the sea of blood that washed across the ground.

You step over the bodies in your path, sharp lilac eyes alert for any shiny trinket or weapon that might be of value.

The majority of the enemy seemed to be centered around the hut in the middle of the village, so that is your target.

You slide your bloody sword into it's sheath at your side as you approach a small hut. It's rudimentary mud-brick walls and straw thatched roof scream out how basic an establishment this was, and you wonder if it were a temporary village.

The door is constructed of lashed together straw mats, and you pull it aside as you enter the darkened hut.

It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust, but as you step further into the makeshift domicile, your ears immediately pick up on the sound of labored breathing.

You stop, ears straining in the darkness for any hint of sound.

There! You've pinpointed the noise, and you grin as you move toward the further-most corner of the hut.

Slowly, your eyes adjust, and your deranged grin grows wider as a wretched girl comes into focus, black hair matted to her skull. Atop her head are a pair of cat ears, small patches of fur missing from them and revealing soft pink flesh. Around her wrists and ankles are steel manacles, and she shrinks into the corner, whimpering softly as you approach. Her clothes are ragged and tattered, and her skin is sallow and tight to her bones, indicating starvation.

There's a sickening suction sound as your wet bloody sword resists being drawn from it's sheath, and her whimpering increases in volume as she catches sight of the weapon.

"Hushhhhh, little kitty." You croon softly, taking another slow step toward her.

"I'll have you free in no time."

Her panicked mewls of fear play upon your ears as you raise your sword up above your head, her frightened whine growing louder as you bring your sword slashing down.

* * *

 _You awoke slowly, consciousness returning to you as a dim light penetrated your tent in sporadic bursts as a gentle breeze rustled your privacy flap. You attempted to scratch your suddenly itchy shoulder, before memories of the battle the day before flooded your mind._

 _You cursed softly, before becoming aware of a gentle, comfortable warm weight upon your chest._

 _Looking down, you realized you were staring the top of your healer's head. She was cuddled up against you, sleeping peacefully as her breathing came in long, even breaths._

 _As much as it hurt, you curled your right arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to you. Tilting your head back against your pillow, you closed your eyes and reveled in the warmth of her body pressed against your own._

 _Maybe you could steal a few more minutes of sleep..._

* * *

"The whole village?!"

The short haired man nodded once more, still on bended knee.

"Yes, Queen." He replied. "The whole village at the base of mount Kali has been annihilated."

"How many armed men were there?"

"About thirty to thirty-five, Queen. And... " He paused, until a single raised eyebrow convinced him to continue.

"...And there's a rumor that they took a Faunus girl hostage. A healer. She may or may not be dead by now."

Upon a high throne carved from a solid chunk of obsidian sat a tall, regal woman. She was clad in the finest silken snow white combat dress, knee high heels with full length black zippers hugging her toned calves tightly. Her long silver hair was tied up in a high ponytail, but still managed to drape down to her waist.

She hummed softly, bowing her head a bit as her hand came up to rest delicately under her chin. Her bangs obscured her left eye from view, hiding the long battle scar that trailed from her forehead, down through her eye, to her cheek. After a moment's contemplation, she raised her head and stood from her throne. Waving her right hand in a wide arc in front of her, a brilliant flash of light announced the summoning of her rapier. As the light dissipated, she held her trusted weapon loosely in her hand.

"Commander, summon your ten best men. We're going to go personally crush the little rebellion rising in the south."

Her ice cold, pale blue gaze fell to the man kneeling in front of her, and she waved him up with a practiced gesture.

"Thank you for your information." She said. "We will handle it from here. No one sheds blood of innocent men and women in my territory and gets away with it."

The man nodded, then bowed until his forehead touched the smooth stone floor. Pushing himself backward, he turned and rose, striding out of the queen's hall.

Behind the queen stood a slightly taller girl, the personal guardian to the queen. A red cloak concealed most of her body, and a hood hid most of her features. What was visible, however, was her long dark red hair, and the way a strip of red fabric covered her right eye.

"As you wish, Queen." Was her only reply, before disappearing in a flash of rose petals.

* * *

Author's note: I'm not sure how far this one will go, but I decided to venture a little further outside of the box on this one. Feel free to drop me a review. Thank you for taking the time to read my work. It is truly appreciated.


	28. Something Different Part Seven

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter ?: Something Different Part Seven_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

It was almost noon before Weiss awoke, and the first thing she became aware of was just how assaulted her senses were.

From the light pounding in her head, to the way her body seemed immobilized, like a weight pushing down on her.

She opened her eyes, and was thankful for the dark tint covering the truck windows. It was relatively dark inside the truck, but she could tell that Blake and Yang were up and about outside. Their soft voices and Yang's occasional laughter reached her ears through the slightly open driver's side window, allowing fresh air into the cab.

A few seconds later and fragmented memories of last night came flooding back.

Groaning softly, Weiss tried to sit up but found herself pinned down by a gentle weight.

Laying on top of her was Ruby, and-

Weiss' eyes widened as she realized that Ruby was naked.

Completely naked.

A thousand curses flooded her mind as she realized that she was too.

"What the _fuck!_ " Weiss whispered furiously, heart pounding in her chest at the thought of her friend and Ruby's sister walking around outside mere feet away.

What if they opened the door to get something? They were just supposed to be sleeping in here, they were never supposed to-!

"Morning." Ruby mumbled softly, inhaling deeply as she slowly woke up.

Engaged in full on panic now, Weiss reacted on instinct, placing her hands on Ruby's shoulders and pushing the girl off her.

"What're y-WHOA!" Ruby yelped, sliding off Weiss and off to the side.

"What the hell happened last night?" Weiss whispered, whirling around wildly as she searched for her scattered clothing.

Ruby blinked sleepily, before tilting her head to the side.

"Uhh, Weiss?" She asked.

Weiss stopped her frantic searching, shirt in her hand, and turned to the girl beside her who was running her fingers through her dark hair.

"What?"

Ruby smirked, then closed one eye as she winced, tilting her head to the right and exposing her neck.

" _This_ is what happened last night." She said quietly, pointing to her neck.

Weiss froze as her eyes focused on the very naked, _very beautiful_ girl beside her.

Ruby smiled demurely as Weiss examined her, seemingly unaffected by Weiss' piercing blue gaze.

Ruby's flawless porcelain skin was marred by countless scratches and bite marks. The worst of it was along the left side of Ruby's neck, where dark love bites dotted her skin from just below her ear down to her chest. There were deep nail marks trailing down Ruby's shoulders, and, Weiss could only assume, continued down her back.

Ruby tilted her head a bit further as she stared at Weiss, and her silver eyes shone with a muted glow inside the dark cabin as she sat up, leaning against the back of the truck. She smiled warmly at Weiss, pulling the blankets off her hips to reveal the rest of her body.

A dark blush stole across Weiss' face, yet she couldn't tear her eyes away from the girl. Ruby seemed to be completely comfortable in her nakedness, and whether that came down to Ruby's carefree attitude, or because of their intimacy last night, Weiss wasn't sure.

Weiss tried to look away, but found herself unable as her eyes slid down Ruby's taut stomach to her naked thighs.

"I'm glad you like what you see now as much as you did last night." Ruby said softly.

An involuntary shiver ran down Weiss' back at the teasing, seductive tone, and it seemed to unfreeze her as she dropped her gaze to her own lap, neck feeling like it was going to burst into flames at any moment.

"I... er... "

Ruby laughed, then winced. Weiss raised her head at the pained sound, somehow afraid that she had further injured Ruby more so than was already apparent.

"I'm so sore." Ruby grinned.

"You're happy about that?" Weiss asked, her icy blue eyes narrowing as she struggled to maintain eye contact with the girl.

Ruby slowly pushed herself onto her knees, before crawling forward toward Weiss.

"It's a very... very nice kind of sore." Ruby whispered, raising a hand to caress Weiss' cheek. Leaning in, she softly kissed Weiss on the lips, taking advantage of the stunned girl.

Ruby's hand fell from Weiss' cheek to her shoulder, gently pushing the girl down onto her back. Weiss didn't seem to resist, and Ruby grinned as she crawled on top of her, straddling her hips.

"You're even prettier with your hair down, you know." Ruby said softly.

Immediately a dark tint rose to Weiss' cheeks, and she turned her head away, breaking eye contact.

Reaching down Ruby took Weiss' hand in her own, drawing the girl's attention back to her.

"My neck is sore, my back is sore, and... I'm _really_ sore right... here."

Ruby brought Weiss' hand up between her legs, pressing her hand tightly against her.

"Won't you rub it better?" Ruby whispered, leaning down to gently nip at Weiss' ear.

Weiss jerked away, bringing her hands to her chest as she turned away from Ruby, squeezing her eyes closed against the girl's advances.

Ruby giggled softly.

"You're so shy when you're not dominating me. It's kinda cute."

Weiss was about to reply when a sudden loud pounding on the rear window made her jump, grabbing whatever she could find within arm's reach to cover herself up with despite Ruby hovering over her, laughing.

"Time to get up!" Yang yelled from outside the truck, pounding on the window again. "Truck gets opened up in five minutes, I'm hungry and I want breakfast! Put your damn clothes on!"

There was muted laughter from outside that Weiss assumed came from Blake, before soft footsteps trailed away from the truck.

Heart pounding in her chest, Weiss once again pushed Ruby off her as she reached around for her clothes.

Her shirt and pants were on the front passenger seat, and she found her bra stuffed under the driver's seat, but no matter how much she sifted through the blankets scattered throughout the truck, she couldn't find her panties.

Face burning with embarrassment, she pulled on the clothes she could find, hoping against hope that neither Blake nor Yang found her panties before she did.

Ruby, for her part, got dressed pretty quickly, seemingly locating her clothing without difficulty.

Tilting her head to the side, she smiled happily at Weiss as she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it over her shoulder in an attempt to hide the marks along her neck.

"Don't worry, Weiss." She spoke softly, garnering the flustered girl's attention for a moment.

"Like I promised, this will be our little secret."

* * *

Yang picked up the last of the empty cans littered across the ground, and threw them into the cooler sitting on the ground. Closing the lid, she straightened up and ran her fingers through her hair as she looked around.

The sun was shining high in the sky and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Blake was standing some feet away, arms crossed over her chest and staring pensively out into the distance.

Yang sighed quietly as she bent down to pick up the cooler.

Blake's behavior was beginning to worry her.

They had woken up this morning and everything had been fine, at first. They had cuddled for a bit, but when Yang had reached up to brush her bangs out of her face, Blake had gotten real shifty. Getting up soon after, Blake had shrugged off any questions, saying that she was a bit sore from laying on the bed of the truck and just needed to move around a bit.

Moving over to the truck, Yang hefted the cooler onto the tailgate, pushing it into the box of the truck.

Turning back to Blake, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. She didn't know Blake that well yet; she knew her enough to know that she was crazy for the dark-haired girl, but not well enough to know whether she should go and comfort her or give her some space.

 _'Maybe Weiss would know what to do in this situation.'_ She thought.

The thought had barely crossed her mind before the door to her truck opened, and her sister stumbled out.

Yang laughed as Ruby struggled for a moment to regain her balance, then turned her head up to the sun with a defeated sigh.

"Why is the sun so loud?" Ruby whined softly, turning back to the truck. Reaching into the door panel, she withdrew a pair of silver mirrored aviators, slipping them over her eyes.

Turning back to the truck, she extended her hand out and helped Weiss climb down from the truck.

When Weiss found solid footing, she quickly retracted her hand from Ruby's, crossing her arms over her chest and looking anywhere but at Yang and Ruby.

Ruby looked toward Yang and shrugged, slowly walking away from Weiss, assuming the girl just wanted some space.

Yang looked around the site once more, sharp eyes scanning the ground for forgotten items. It would be a while before she found time to come back out here, and didn't want to leave anything important exposed to the elements.

Deeming herself satisfied, she closed the tailgate with a resounding thunk. Grabbing the blankets that she had folded and set on the ground, she carefully made her way to the truck, where she stuffed them behind the seats. Grabbing the blanket that Weiss and Ruby had used, she quickly folded it into a semi-neat square, and stuffed it with the others. Folding the seat back up, she closed the door before moving to the driver's door. Pulling it open, she reached in and started the truck, keys still in the ignition from last night.

The quiet afternoon air was shattered by the noisy diesel motor knocking to life, and the woodsy scent of the forest and field was slowly overpowered by the scent of diesel exhaust.

"Ready to go, Blake?" Yang called softly.

Blake took a second to respond, turning around and nodding without meeting Yang's gaze.

"I'm ready." She said quietly. Moving toward the passenger side of the truck, she pulled open the door and hauled herself in as Yang watched helplessly at the complete flip in behavior.

 _'What the hell happened?'_ Yang wondered. She looked toward Weiss, who was slowly stretching out her arms and legs, and glanced toward her sister, who was pulling herself up into the truck.

Sliding over to Weiss, Yang tilted her head toward the truck.

"Hey, could you do me a favor?" Yang asked quietly, turning her back to the truck as Ruby rolled down her window. Yang doubted she would be heard over the sound of her truck, but she wasn't taking any chances.

Weiss looked over her shoulder toward Ruby, then turned back to Yang, looking up at the taller girl with distracted eyes.

"Yeah, what's up?"

Yang bit her lip as she shifted her weight to her right leg, jutting her hip out.

"Can you try to low-key find out what's wrong with Blake? We woke up fine this morning, but then she got all... reclusive or something. I don't know what's wrong, and I don't know what to do."

Weiss raised a slender eyebrow, glancing back toward the truck.

"Did you... do anything last night?" She asked.

"What? No! We've barely had any dates together! Of course not!"

Weiss flushed at the indirect, unassuming implication, and turned away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll find out what's wrong with her." Weiss said curtly.

Yang smiled. "Thanks Weiss." She said, pulling the shorter girl into a quick one armed hug.

"I knew I could count on you."

Weiss lightened up a bit, smiling.

"I have a pretty good idea of what's bothering her anyway." Weiss said. "If it's what I think it is, there's nothing I can do. It's up to her to figure it out."

Yang patted her on the shoulder, before releasing her.

"I just don't like to see her upset, you know?"

Weiss nodded.

"So, how'd it go last night?" Yang asked. "Manage to get any sleep? I know my sister can be a bit of a blanket hog."

Images of last night flashed through Weiss' mind, and her face darkened. For what had to be the tenth time that morning, Weiss cursed how easily embarrassed she was.

"It was fine." Weiss replied, moving toward the truck. "We got it figured out after a bit."

Yang grinned happily.

"I'm glad you two are warming up to each other."

Weiss didn't bother responding as she moved to the truck, pulling open the door and hauling herself into the back seat.

Moving toward the driver's side, Yang pulled herself in with ease, closing the door as she glanced worriedly toward Blake, who had her gaze fixed resolutely out the window, staring off into the distance.

Sighing softly, Yang slapped her truck into reverse, carefully guiding it back toward the lightly used trail that would lead them back to the highway.

* * *

It wasn't long after they hit the highway that two of the truck's occupants were knocked out, the gentle hum of mud tires on asphalt lulling them into an unconscious stupor.

Blake had her seat reclined slightly and was curled up on the passenger seat, her head resting on her arm on the center console as she unconsciously snuggled closer to Yang. Yang rested her right arm on the center console between their seats, her fingers idly weaving through Blake's hair as she scratched lightly at her head.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, Yang grinned to herself as she saw Ruby stretched out across the back seat, her head in Weiss' lap. Weiss refused to look down at the girl, instead staring out the window at the passing scenery.

However, Yang didn't miss the way Weiss' hand rested gently upon Ruby's throat, thumb gently brushing against her cheek in a slow, steady rhythm.

 _'All in all, not a bad night.'_ She thought. She glanced over at the girl curled up beside her.

 _'Well, with the exception of this girl right here... '_

Yang shifted slightly in her seat, finding a more comfortable position to rest in. As she did, her fingers tangled in Blake's hair, and afraid of pulling her hair and waking her, Yang ever so carefully untangled her fingers.

As she did, her fingers nudged up against a small bump, and she frowned.

 _'Did Blake hit her head on something last night?'_

Gently scratching around, she tried to relocate the bump, and her eyebrows furrowed as she encountered a foreign item on Blake's head, buried deep in her beautiful locks.

 _'What the fuck... is this?'_

"Weiss?" Yang asked quietly, not wanting to disturb either Blake or her sister.

Weiss turned and caught Yang's stare in the rearview mirror, unconsciously removing her hand from Ruby and placing it back in her lap.

"Yeah, Yang?"

"Did Blake hit her head on something?"

Icy blue eyes slid to Blake, fast asleep.

"Not that I... what..."

Suddenly Weiss was leaning forward, shaking Blake's shoulder. Sharp blue eyes widened in obvious alarm as she called Blake's name.

"Blake! Blake, wake the hell up!"

Startled by Weiss' outburst, Yang jammed her knee against the steering wheel to hold the truck straight as she twisted around in her seat, looking at Weiss with a confused look.

"What? What's wrong?" Glancing down at the girl stirring slowly, she pulled her hand away from Blake's head, confused.

"Blake, sit the hell up." Weiss growled, pulling Blake out of unconsciousness. Blake looked around sleepily, glancing first at Weiss, then up at Yang.

"What? Weiss, what're you...?"

Weiss glanced at Yang's confused expression, and almost felt bad for her. However, her loyalty laid with Blake, her longest friend.

"Yang was rubbing your head, you idiot!"

Instantly Blake shot upright, golden eyes wide with panic.

"Did she-!"

"Shut up, you dunce!" Weiss cut her off, her voice rousing Ruby from her sleep.

"Ugh, guys shush, some of us are trying to sleep." Ruby moaned. Reaching into Weiss' lap, she picked up Weiss' hand and returned it to her neck, before closing her eyes and nuzzling gently into her lap once more.

"What the hell is going on?" Yang asked, glancing down at Blake as she returned her hand to the steering wheel.

Blake shrugged, leaning against the passenger door and looking out the window.

"Yang, when we get home, we have to have a little talk." She mumbled quietly.

"There's... something I have to tell you."

* * *

Author's note: Damn Ruby, take it easy on Weiss.

As always, I hope you've enjoyed. If you did, or even if you didn't, shoot me a review and let me know why. It's always appreciated, each and every one of them. Take care all, until next time!


	29. Burn Brightly

_Burn Brightly_

* * *

 _I was seventeen years old when I met you. The way your fiery golden eyes met my surprised lilac over the dissolving body of a Grimm is burned forever into my mind. Instantly I felt the connection, and you smirked as I nonchalantly declared that indeed, "I could have taken him."_

 _It was a strange feeling that coursed through my body. It made my heart skip a beat and my breath catch in my throat. I had never seen a girl as beautiful as you before, and it threw me off guard. I was so used to putting people on edge, on purpose, that I didn't quite know how to carry myself around you. You were so spectacularly unaware of how you made me feel, it was almost laughable. Every smirk, every glance, every time you called my name, it made my face burn brightly._

* * *

 _I was twenty-one years old when I first asked you. It was my birthday, and the lights were out. I had been planning this for weeks, and I was sure you had no idea. I wish you could hear how loudly my heart pounded in my chest at the mere thought of asking you the question. It would put Nora's thundering hammer to shame, I was sure of it._

 _The cake was brought out, and I was more nervous now than I had ever been in any fight. Surrounding me were my closest friends, but they may as well have been invisible, drowned out by your shining beauty. My throat felt constricted as I mentally practiced over and over what I wanted to say, and I barely heard the chorus of "Happy birthday Yang!" that rang out around me._

 _The cake was a chocolate monstrosity no doubt picked out by my dear younger sister and a reluctant Weiss. The over-abundance of frosting and chocolate screamed "Ruby!", whilst the delicate piping and ornate design held traces of Weiss' choosing._

 _"Make a wish!" You said, a wide smile gracing your gorgeous face. I closed my eyes, and mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. I honestly had no idea how this was going to turn out, and a small part of me was secretly thrilled. Just one more part of the adventure that I had signed up for._

 _I blew out the candles, and immediately Nora poked my shoulder._

 _"What did you wish for? Huh? Huh?"_

 _I opened my eyes and leveled my gaze at you._

 _"I wished that the sweetest, most beautiful girl I've ever known would do me the honor of going out with me."_

 _The table fell silent, of all the things they were expecting, I was certain that was not it._

 _The look on your face told me all I needed to know, as your cheeks flushed with embarrassment, causing them to burn brightly._

* * *

 _I was twenty-five years old when we got married. The ceremony was beautiful from the pictures I saw, but to be honest it was such a blur that I barely remember. Mostly I remember being exhausted from all of the planning, and an overwhelming sense of relief when it was all over._

 _I do, however, remember how stunning you looked in your wedding dress. That is one image that will be burned into my mind until the day I die._

 _I chose to wear a tux. I was never a dress type of girl, despite our first dance at Beacon all those many years ago. I was more comfortable in the tux anyway, and as I stood mere inches over you, I felt on top of the world._

 _You were always a quiet, shy person. It was just your personality. You were affectionate, but never publicly. I had promised you a sweet, chaste kiss at the altar, but when the time came, my heart swelled with happiness and pride. I swept you into my arms and kissed you like my life and my commitment counted on it._

 _Your glare quickly dissolved in the radiance of my proud grin, and soon you were beaming next to me, despite the red tint to your cheeks._

 _For the first time in a long time, I saw a future ahead of me that, with you by my side, would burn brightly._

* * *

 _I was thirty-two when I began to experience my first real regret. Fighting was all that I knew, and with the exception of you, it was everything that I loved._

 _You tenderly wiped the blood from my skin and bandaged my wounds, 'tsk'ing softly as I grumbled about how badly I had been beaten. My mortality had never been called into question like this before, and I began to feel time's unending embrace wrapping her arms tightly around me as I came to the startling realization that my name and my legacy would live and die with me._

 _I had never been interested in children, until this moment. Now, you held me tightly in your arms as I cried my eyes out, lamenting at the choices in my life that had lead me to this point._

 _I can't imagine how much that must have hurt you. How it felt to hear the one you loved so much grieve about the lack of children. I thought I knew what I was getting into when I asked you to love me forever, but I never realized how badly it would affect me to never pass on my name, my legacy, my skills. Everything that I was and would ever be would live and die with me._

 _For a while I dreamed of having children. Every day I got older and a little more worn out, and it chipped away at my pride and my sanity. I couldn't stomach the thought of not passing on my proud name and way of life, and it ate at me incessantly, keeping me awake into the early hours of the morning._

 _Through it all you loved me unconditionally, soothing the scars on my heart and the worries in my mind. For that, I was eternally thankful. You helped me overcome a very difficult time in my life, and opened my eyes to the true legacy I would leave behind: An unwavering, brilliant, unconditional love that would forever burn brightly._

* * *

 _I am sixty-seven years old when you pass. I had long ago come to terms with my own mortality and failing strength, and I took comfort in knowing that my true strength came from you walking hand in hand by my side._

 _The light went out of my life the day you left me. It's been raining every day since then. The sun doesn't shine any more. My grip was still strong, but my hands shook uncontrollably as I held your well-worn bow in my aged hands. My mind is cast back to the days of my youth as I remember the many childhood songs my mother sung to me, and I smile sadly as I realize that you were truly my only sunshine._

 _Tears dampen your bow as it continues to rain._

 _I've come to terms with the fact that you were, and always will be, the source of my strength and the light of my life._

 _I slowly wrap your bow around my right wrist as the harsh smell of gasoline reaches my nose. It snaps me back to the present, and I look around this house of ours that is packed with memories and items that represent our life together, yet seems so still and lifeless without you._

 _I smile as I lean back into my rocking chair. Soon, we will be together again once more, and once more you'll be the strength I need to carry on into the next life._

 _There's one round chambered in Ember Celica, a relic of a past that I was never able to let go of._

 _My hands tremble in fear and anticipation now, as I perform the actions ingrained into the very core of my body._

 _I can't wait to meet you again. My body shakes with anticipation as the gasoline vapors make my tired old eyes water. With a difficulty that I'm too proud to admit to, I raise my arm and take aim. My breathing is calmed by the familiar weight around my wrist, and I close my eyes as I take a shot that I know will bring me back to you._

 _Instantly, the fuel around me ignites. In seconds the searing heat is unbearable, but as I close my eyes and lean back into my chair, I caress your bow with worn and weathered hands, and a smile cuts through my tears as I find comfort in the idea that once more, on my way home to you, I will burn brightly._

* * *

Author's note: Reviews are appreciated. Thank you for reading.


	30. Something Different Part 8

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty: Something Different Part Eight_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

"Ugh, what a disaster." Blake mumbled, rubbing her face with her hands. She sat down on Weiss' bed and sighed, raising her head as Weiss sat down beside her.

"You've been awfully quiet." Blake said after a moment, temporarily pushing her own predicament aside. "Something wrong?"

Weiss looked at her, then shrugged, looking back down at the floor.

"Did something happen last night?" Blake asked.

Weiss bit her lip, tilting her head to the side.

"Eh, you could say that." She hedged.

Blake raised an eyebrow curiously.

"What do you mean?"

Weiss' face darkened, and she steadfastly studied her floor.

"I fu-... I had sex with Ruby last night." She whispered.

"You WHAT!?"

Weiss turned to her, blue eyes wide.

"Shh! Shut up! Not so loud!"

Blake burst into laughter, covering her mouth with one hand as she slapped Weiss on the shoulder.

"Ohhh God Weiss, what the hell!"

"I knowwww." Weiss groaned, reaching up and rubbing her temples. "And I don't know what to do! I barely remember it, and I have no idea... of anything, really."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

Weiss gesticulated helplessly.

"Did it mean anything?" She asked. "Should it have? Does she care? Should I call? Should I pretend it never happened?"

"Whoa whoa whoa." Blake said, holding her hand up to stem the flow of questions.

"You're going about this all wrong. This isn't a business transaction, Weiss. You can't rationalize and logic your way through this. It won't make any sense."

"Then what do I do?" Weiss asked, glancing sideways at Blake. "Should I do anything?"

Blake shifted to get more comfortable on Weiss' bed, reaching out and taking Weiss' hand in her own.

"What do you _feel_?"

"What?" Weiss looked at her with a blank look. Blake smiled, and gently squeezed Weiss' hand.

"What do you feel? What do you want?" Blake asked. "Instead of over-thinking it, why don't you just let your heart figure it out?"

Weiss stared deadpan at Blake for a moment, trying to figure out if she was serious or not.

"Blake... are you on glue?"

Blake's eyes narrowed, and she frowned.

"What? No, why would you say that?"

Weiss scoffed. "A Schnee doesn't do anything that hasn't been meticulously thought out and planned."

Blake groaned. "Weiss, I'm telling you, you can't plan something like this."

"Well, I didn't plan on sleeping with Ruby, and look at what happened!"

"Do you like her?"

"What? I don't know... "

Blake rolled her eyes. "Do you like her? Damn, was I this difficult with you about Yang?"

Weiss narrowed her icy gaze at Blake. "You _still_ are. You think she's gonna care that you're a Faunus?"

Blake slid her gaze away for a moment, shifting uncomfortably.

"Hey, this isn't about me, it's about you."

Weiss was silent, staring at her feet as she bit her lip.

"Do you like her? Or no?" Blake asked again, gently nudging Weiss with her elbow.

Weiss shrugged. "I dunno. She said I looked pretty with my hair down." Weiss smiled happily at the memory.

Blake hummed in approval.

"So you don't hate her then?"

Weiss looked up to Blake, shaking her head.

"No, I definitely don't hate her."

Blake was silent for a moment, before pulling out her phone. She had barely opened it, however, when Weiss grabbed it from her unsuspecting hands.

"Hell no, Blake. You're not doing to me what I did to you. I'm not that stupid."

"Hey!" Blake whined, both at the loss of her phone and the perceived insult.

Weiss shrugged. "Sorry." She said, unapologetically.

Blake sighed in exasperation.

"I can't help but notice that despite telling Yang earlier that you two had to talk when you got home, you promptly ran away without a word when she pulled in the driveway." Weiss commented.

Blake looked up guiltily, her ears flattening against her head. The first thing she had done when she had gotten into the safety of Weiss' home was to untape her ears from her skull, rubbing them with her forefinger and thumb to work out some of the pain of being taped down for so long.

"Weiss," Blake started, looking up at her with sharp golden eyes. "Thanks to you, I've found someone who treats me really well and seems to care. I'm terrified of messing that up. She likes me, Weiss. She likes me because she thinks I'm human just like her."

"Ugh, God, no she doesn't." Weiss groaned, leaning back on her bed and sighing.

Blake licked her lips slowly, unsure of what to say in response.

"Blake," Weiss spoke quietly, staring up at the ceiling, "She likes you so much because you're an honest, up front person who isn't lying to her and taking advantage of her or her money."

Weiss tilted her head to fix her gaze on Blake.

"I'm warning you Blake, you will lose this girl if you're not honest with her. I can promise you that."

Blake whined softly, not saying anything.

"We've been friends forever, Blake. I know everything there is to know about you. I also know that if Yang were here and rubbing your ears, you'd melt into a puddle of purring Faunus who was so blitzed out of her mind she couldn't remember her own name."

Blake's face darkened at the thought, turning her gaze away from Weiss as her ears twitched.

"Th-that's not... "

Weiss sighed, folding her arms behind her head.

"Blake. Do not make me solve this issue for you like I did last time. You're a grown ass woman, it's time you started acting like one."

"Why don't you just let me work through this relationship at my own pace?" The raven-haired Faunus asked exasperatedly.

Weiss snickered. "Because if we were doing this at your pace, you'd still be humming and hawing over whether to text her back or not."

"... "

Weiss glanced at Blake, then burst into laughter at the look she was receiving.

"I've got my own problems to deal with now, Blake." Weiss said, sitting up. "As much as I love you, I don't have time to run your relationship for you. Get it sorted out tonight, or I will tomorrow morning."

It was Blake's turn to laugh now, despite the threat.

"Should I really be taking relationship advice from a girl who can't even remember the last time she had sex in like a million months?"

Weiss' face darkened.

"I remember most of it." She growled, punching Blake in the shoulder.

Blake shied away from the punch, laughing as Weiss still managed to connect with her shoulder.

"So what do you think?" Blake asked.

Weiss shrugged, staring at her feet once more.

"I don't know. She's cute. Time will tell, I suppose."

Blake was silent for a moment, then sighed quietly. Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet. Weiss looked up curiously, eyebrows raising.

"Where are you off to?"

Blake glanced down at her, ears flattening against her head as she crossed the room to the dresser standing against the far wall.

Reaching down, she picked up a small roll of clear tape. Pulling out a short length, she raised it to her teeth and severed it with a swift nip of her sharp fangs.

"I'm going to go see Yang and tell her the truth."

Weiss hummed softly.

"Good for you, Blake. Don't chicken out, either. I know she'll love you either way, so please, don't stress yourself out about it."

Just then, Weiss' phone vibrated on the bed beside her, and she picked it up. A moment later, and she laughed.

"Speaking of stressed out, poor Yang is losing her mind trying to get a hold of you. Did you shut your phone off, or something?" Weiss asked, raising her gaze to stare at Blake.

Blake cleared her throat softly, reaching into her pocket to pull out her phone.

"Er... no." She said guiltily, pressing the power button on the side of her phone.

Weiss stared at her deadpan for a moment, before shaking her head.

"Blake." Weiss said, impatience creeping into her tone. "No offense, but you're a _fucking idiot_."

Blake flinched at the un-Weiss like swear, lowering her head to stare at her phone screen as it lit up a brilliant white.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you're trying to sabotage your relationship." Weiss grumbled, keying in a reply to Yang.

"Wh... what did she say? What are you telling her?" Blake asked nervously, brushing her long dark hair out of her eyes as she hesitantly took a half-step closer to Weiss.

Weiss raised her gaze to fix Blake with an icy glare over the top of her phone that had Blake frozen in place.

"Go." Weiss growled. "Now."

If Blake's ears weren't taped to her skull, they would have been pressed flat against her head as she skulked out the door.

* * *

Yang sighed as she lowered her phone to her lap, tearing her gaze from her screen to look at her little sister.

Ruby was spread out on the opposite couch, taking up far more room than Yang would have thought possible. Her upper back and head were hanging off the edge with her phone clasped tightly in her hands, and her legs were spread nearly as wide as she could get them. Her left leg took up the remaining length of the couch, whilst her right was hooked over the back of the couch, holding her in place as she dangled upside down on the couch.

"That _can't_ be comfortable." Yang said, smirking at her sister's flushed face as the blood rushed to her head.

"You'd be surprised." Ruby shrugged, sticking her tongue out in concentration as she stared at her phone.

"Talking to Weiss?" Yang asked.

Silver eyes flicked to meet dark violet.

"Maaaaybe."

Yang ignored the taunt, settling on a different question.

"So how did it go last night, anyway?"

Ruby smirked as she licked her lips.

"Really, really well."

Yang raised an eyebrow, opening her mouth to speak.

"So y-"

Suddenly her eyes widened in understanding, and her question was replaced by a groan.

"Aww, Ruby, seriously?"

Ruby reached over her head to drop her phone onto the carpet, crossing her arms over her chest as she smirked cheekily up at her sister.

"What, jealous that I nailed Weiss the first day I met her, and you're still working on Blake?"

"No, I'm not jealous." Yang growled, crossing her arms under her chest as she glared at her sister.

"I just don't need you using Weiss as another impersonal conquest while I'm trying to start something serious with her friend. Looks bad, y'know?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "She's not a conquest."

"The way you talk about her, it sure sounds like it."

"Would you feel better if I invited her out for dinner tonight?" Ruby asked, reaching out over her head and padding around for her phone. When her fingers brushed against it, she picked it up.

Yang was about to answer when her phone vibrated in her lap. Picking it up, her eyes narrowed and brows furrowed as she read the message.

"Do... whatever you want." Yang mumbled as she pushed off the couch and waved idly at Ruby. Ruby raised an eyebrow at her sister's change in attitude.

"I've gotta go see Blake." Yang said, grabbing her keys off the table and slipping into her shoes.

"Something wrong?" Ruby asked, sitting up.

Yang glanced at Ruby, then back down at her phone.

"I don't know, it just says, 'We need to talk', and then she texted me her address."

"Ehh... " Ruby sighed. "Good luck, sis. Isn't that how you usually get let down?"

Yang glared at her sister as she twisted the handle and pulled the door open.

"Don't say that!" Yang snapped, before exiting and slamming the door behind her.


	31. Something Different Part 9

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty-One: Something Different Part Nine_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

Yang hadn't been to Blake's house before, but luckily her phone's GPS knew the way. It wasn't too far from Weiss' house, and during the short twenty minute drive, her mind ran wild with all the possible scenarios she would encounter.

By the time she pulled into Blake's driveway, her heart was pounding uncontrollably in her chest. Yang found herself staring at Blake's house, unable to move as her truck idled patiently. She barely registered the noise as her mind wandered, and she wondered exactly why she was so upset.

She hadn't known Blake very long, but it was an uncanny connection she felt with the girl. For some reason she was drawn to the shy, quiet dark haired girl, and she couldn't explain why. All she knew was that she would do whatever it took to give this relationship the best shot she could.

With that thought lingering in the back of her mind, she finally shut off her truck. With a dual sense of trepidation and determination bubbling up inside, she hopped out of her truck and approached the front door.

* * *

Blake stared nervously at the truck idling in her driveway, her heart pounding loudly in her ears as she wondered why Yang was just sitting there. As each second ticked by, she began to wonder if this was a bad idea.

Weiss was right, however, Blake knew. If this deceit went much further, it would be that much harder to recover from.

Blake swallowed the lump in her throat as she wondered if it might be too late already.

Finally, the headlights shut off as the truck shut off, the noise fading away. Blake turned away from the front window and paced across the floor as she waited for the knock on her front door that signalled Yang's arrival.

It seemed to take forever, but paradoxically, was far too soon for Blake's liking. A sharp knock reached her ears, and Blake paused her pacing as she turned to face the door. Inhaling deeply, she took a moment to smooth out her black shirt over her faded jeans before approaching.

Twisting the handle, she pulled the door open. She was greeted by a somber Yang with a guarded expression.

"Come on in." Blake motioned, stepping aside to make room.

Yang nodded, stepping in and kicking off her shoes as Blake shut the door behind her.

"Can I get you anything?" Blake asked, silently hoping for a distraction of any sort.

Yang shook her head. "No thanks, I'm fine."

Blake bit her lip, then tilted her head toward the living room.

"Maybe we should sit."

Yang sighed softly, before nodding. Following Blake into the living room, she barely noticed the high end finishings of Blake's modern house.

"Please." Blake motioned to a long leather couch that was set against the far wall, opposite a large wall mounted flat screen television.

Yang sat down, then looked up at Blake.

Blake slowly sat down beside her, albeit with a seemingly too-large space between them.

"Yang," Blake started, "I'm sorry I bailed out on you earlier. It wasn't right."

Yang studied the demure girl intensely, taking in every detail.

"What happened?"

Blake looked down at her knees, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her face.

"I... I have something I need to tell you, and I wanted to tell you earlier, but I got scared."

"What? What is it?" Yang pressed, leaning forward. "Look, if it's something I did, I'm sorry, I-"

Blake raised her head swiftly, fixing Yang with a piercing stare.

"You didn't do anything, Yang."

Yang raised her hands helplessly. "Then... then what?"

"Weiss never told you, did she?"

"Told me what?" Yang asked, at a loss as to where the conversation was heading. "That you were straight? No, she didn't, but you made sure to point that out pretty much right away."

Blake smiled crookedly, but before she could respond, Yang continued.

"Is that what this is about? Do I make you feel... bad?" There was a pleading quality to Yang's voice that Blake had never heard before, and her golden eyes widened almost imperceptibly in response.

"N-no!" Blake shook her, head, a dark stain tinting her cheeks as she lowered her gaze to her lap once more. "Th-that, that's it's own separate issue, something I'm struggling with and something I need to work through. That's not what I need to tell you."

"What is it, Blake?" Yang reached out and gently took Blake's hands into her own, squeezing them gently. "Please, let me in."

Blake took a deep breath before removing her hands from Yang's. Yang's heart dropped at the almost immediate loss of contact.

"What Weiss conveniently forgot to disclose to you when setting us up," Blake said quietly, raising her gaze once more to meet Yang's confused lilac stare, "Was that I'm a little different than you."

Yang's eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion, and she was about to speak when Blake cut her off.

"I don't know your feelings on the subject, but I figured I would let you know before we got too carried away, Yang, I... "

Yang leaned forward slightly, wondering just what this heartbreakingly beautiful girl was about to tell her.

"Yang, I'm a half-demon."

Yang blinked, shaking her head slightly as she refocused her gaze on Blake.

"You're... what?"

Blake's hands trembled slightly as she clutched at her knees.

"I'm a Faunus. I masquerade as a human to avoid trouble in my day to day activities. I never told you because I never expected us to go this far. I never ever expected that I... that I would come to care about you."

Yang leaned back against the couch as she absorbed this new information. She stared unseeingly at the coffee table in front of her as Blake's words slowly sunk in.

Beside her, Blake stared at Yang's profile, her heartbeat climbing steadily as Yang seemed to be stunned into silence by what she had said. With each passing second it seemed like a favorable response was seeming less and less likely, and Blake's imagination began to get the better of her as she wondered what Yang's eventual response would be.

Anger? Would Yang be upset at the deception and withholding of such information?

Fear? Even now Faunus and humans didn't have the best of relationships, although it was nothing like how it was years ago. After all, Blake wouldn't have subjected herself to the painful process of taping her ears down every morning if it weren't worth the hassle it saved.

Disappointment, maybe, Blake thought. Yang definitely looked disappointed right now. Blake felt the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, and she cleared her throat softly as she fought down the urge to burst into tears. There was no way Yang was going to-

"You said you care about me?"

Blake was startled from her downward spiraling train of thought as Yang spoke. Her eyes widened, and she raised her head to see Yang staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"Wh-what?"

Yang leaned in a bit closer, her dark lilac eyes boring into Blake's uncertain gold.

"You said you care about me." This time it was a statement, not a question.

Blake found herself nodding, her train of thought completely derailed.

"Y-yeah, Yang, but that's kinda not the point ri-"

"You're not lying?" Yang asked.

Blake shook her head, confusion making her head tilt to the side.

"No, I'm not." She said. "I'll prove it."

Inhaling deeply, Blake steeled herself for what she was about to do. Before she could go back on her word, she reached up and with a practiced movement, peeled away the tape holding down her cat ears. Closing her eyes, she shook her head side to side as she unfurled her ears, a mild pleasure easing some of the uncertainty coursing through her as they popped up from underneath her hair.

"See?" Blake asked, opening her eyes and lowering her gaze to her knees once more. "I wasn't lying."

Whatever response Blake wasn't expecting, it wasn't prolonged silence. She felt like she was staring holes into her knees now, and in her peripheral vision she could see that Yang was sitting absolutely motionless beside her.

Finally, Yang spoke.

"So you're not breaking up with me?" Yang asked quietly.

Blake blinked slowly. "Uh, what?"

Yang reached out and gently caressed Blake's cheek. "I thought the worst, for a while. I thought you didn't want to see me anymore. I thought you wanted to stop hanging out, and that thought terrified me."

Blake's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the girl in front of her.

"Yang, " She spoke slowly, carefully. "I think we may be having two different conversations, here."

Yang shook her head. "You acted so cold and aloof that I thought for sure you didn't want anything to do with me anymore. I was sure that when I showed up here tonight that you were ending what I thought could have been the best thing that ever happened to me."

Blake sighed quietly. "No, Yang." She spoke softly, patiently. "I'm sorry I gave you that impression, but that wasn't my intention at all. I was stressing out over whether or not to tell you... " Blake paused for a moment, picking her words carefully.

"... To show you what I really am."

Yang was silent for a moment, before she gently stroked Blake's cheek with her thumb.

"I really don't care about that."

Blake blinked slowly. "You don't?"

Yang shook her head, golden tresses falling into her eyes.

"What you are doesn't change who you are, Blake."

Blake felt her breath catch in her throat as Yang gently caressed her cheek.

"Human, Faunus, it doesn't change the fact that you're a beautiful, sweet, caring girl that has managed to capture every bit of my attention and interest."

Blake felt her cheeks burning hot against Yang's cool hand, and she looked away even as Yang gently tilted her head up to meet her gaze.

"I- I don't understand." Blake mumbled.

Yang shrugged.

"I'm sorry Blake, but the way I was raised to treat people, you being a Faunus just isn't that big of a deal to me. Sure, it's surprising, but it's not a dealbreaker to me."

"it's not?"

Yang shook her head. "Nope." Then she smiled at Blake, a brilliant, happy grin that tugged ever so gently at Blake's heart.

"I'm just glad that you're still a part of my life. I know I fall in love too easily, but it would have seriously hurt to have you tell me that it was time for us to go separate ways."

Blake was silent as Yang finally dropped her hand back into her lap. Biting her lip, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as a particular thought crossed her mind.

"What did you mean earlier, when you asked if I was breaking up with you?"

Yang blinked in surprise, eyebrows raising slightly. "Well, you pretty much ignored me during the whole drive home, then ran away from me before I could even shut my truck off. Isn't that what you would have thought?"

"Yang... " Blake deadpanned, sighing softly. "We can't break up, you never asked me out."

"Oh."

The raven haired girl fixed Yang with a pointed stare.

"Oh?" She mimicked.

Yang chuckled softly. "It appears we have some glaring communication errors, if tonight has proven anything."

Blake crossed her arms over chest as she looked away from Yang, her face burning up.

"Obviously." Was her muttered reply.

Yang hummed softly to herself, before readjusting her position on the couch.

"As much as it offends me that you think I would kiss just anyone, " Yang began, "I'm going to set that discussion aside in favor of a more pressing issue." She declared.

Blake raised her eyebrows in silent questioning.

"Blake, would you do me the honor of going out with me?"

Caught off-guard, Blake suddenly found herself unable to look at the beautiful girl beside her as her face burned hotter than she ever thought possible.

She didn't have to think twice about her answer though, as she nodded resolutely.

"Yes, I'd love to." She said softly, reaching up to push some stray locks of hair from her eyes.

Yang grinned happily as she wrapped her arms around Blake's shoulders, pulling the shy girl into a tight hug.

"Remind me to pick up something nice for Weiss." Yang said, as Blake slowly wrapped her arms around Yang's waist and nuzzled into her chest.

"I can't thank her enough for bringing such an amazing girl into my life."

* * *

Author's note: It seems they were both worried about nothing. Also, I can't wait for Yang to get her hands on Blake's ears.

Thanks for reading, feel free to drop me a review and let me know what you think. More to follow soon.


	32. Pride

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty-Two: Pride_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

"Yang, I need your help."

The words were out of Ruby's mouth before she had even closed the door behind her, her determined gaze fixated on her blonde sister.

Yang, for her part, barely registered the arrival of her little sister. She was sitting up straight on Blake's bed, legs crossed. Blake sat in front of her, a book in her lap to occupy her attention as Yang carefully ran a fine tooth brush through Blake's raven tresses.

"With what?" Yang greeted her sister, not taking her eyes off her work.

"I need to talk to you."

Yang's pink tongue peeked out from between her lips as her violet eyes narrowed in concentration. She ever so carefully and gently pressed Blake's right cat ear down with one finger as she gently rubbed the teeth of the comb against the base of her ear.

In front of her, Blake's shoulders drooped as her eyes closed, and the book fell from her limp grasp as she leaned back slightly into Yang's touch.

Yang smirked in satisfaction as she drew the comb slowly down through her hair, earning a quiet whine from Blake.

"About what?"

Ruby slowly approached the bed, not wanting to intrude on Yang and Blake's "special grooming time", as she had come to call it. However, this was important, and she couldn't afford any delays or distractions.

"Weiss has been feeling down and been pretty reclusive lately, and I think I've figured out why."

This grabbed Yang's attention, and she paused her ministrations for a moment as she turned to look at her sister. Brushing her long golden locks out of her face, she patted the bed beside her and motioned for Ruby to join her.

"Come, sit, and talk to your wise older sister."

Blake couldn't suppress a snicker at that, and Yang frowned, reaching up to gently dig the tip of the comb into Blake's skull.

"Hey!" Blake twisted away from the assault on her head.

Yang stuck her tongue out at her, then turned to her sister, setting the comb down in her lap.

"What's up, Rubes?"

Ruby cast a look at Blake, who nodded to her. Shifting her gaze to her older sister, Ruby shrugged her shoulders before taking a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Well, coming into the summer months, we've been spending more and more time outside as a team performing search and destroy and reconnaissance missions. This is the first time we've been spending this much time out in the elements, and Weiss' fair skin is susceptible to the elements."

Yang raised an eyebrow, wondering where her sister was going with this.

"And?" She prompted.

Ruby hummed softly. "I think Weiss has had a pretty easy, sheltered life up until now, and I'm more than certain that whenever she had to go outside, she had some sort of shade-giving parasol or umbrella to protect her from the sun."

Yang nodded slowly, unsure of what point Ruby was trying to make.

"So," Ruby continued, looking down at her lap, "I think this is her first time getting tanned."

Yang's eyes widened, and she cast her thoughts back to Weiss' recent appearance.

"Hey, yeah!" Yang exclaimed. "The Ice Princess is getting quite the tan, now that I think of it!"

Ruby nodded slowly.

"So what's that got to do with her recent change in attitude?" Yang asked, bewildered.

Ruby tilted her head to the side.

"I think it's the scar on her eye. Before, it was barely noticeable against her otherwise flawless snow-white skin. Now that she's darkened up a bit, it's... it's really noticeable. It stands out, and I think it bothers her."

"Ahh." Yang nodded slowly. "I can see how that would bother her." Yang reached down to toy with the comb in her lap as Blake stared at Ruby.

Rub nodded, reaching up to push her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, and what I wanted to ask you, and more specifically Blake, " Ruby glanced at Blake, " was if there was anything I could do or say to help her not be so self-conscious about it. I figured you two were the best ones to ask about this sort of thing, given... " She gesticulated helplessly, at a loss for words.

Fortunately, Blake knew what she was getting at. Golden eyes slid fluidly to Yang as she spoke softly.

"You're talking about me, the scars I have."

Ruby nodded slowly, tapping her index fingers together as she stared at her knees.

Yang immediately reached out protectively, her left hand covering Blake's lower back. Instantly Blake scooted closer, pushing herself against Yang as Yang's right hand came up to caress her shoulder, her fingers gently touching the small scar near her collarbone.

Yang turned her gaze to Blake, her eyes softening as she stared at the quiet Faunus girl. A smile curved the corners of her lips ever so slightly as she leaned forward to nuzzle reassuringly against Blake's neck.

"The scars Blake bears tell me an incredible story." Yang spoke softly. She knew that Ruby had seen a few of the minor scars that dotted Blake's hands and forearms, marks of battles hard fought and even harder won, and she knew that Ruby had no idea of the true extent of the scars that criss-crossed Blake's body.

No, those were just between themselves.

"They tell me of an unfathomably strong woman who took her hits like the true warrior she is, and stood back up time and time again to emerge victorious against whatever assailed her. They aren't the marks of a loser, and they carry no shame. They're the proof she wears of her indomitable spirit and her ability to survive whatever can be thrown her way. Each is a mark of pride, and I wouldn't change any bit of it for anything in the world."

Blake lowered her head to stare at her lap, her hair falling over her shoulder to obscure her face. Still, she pressed her back against Yang, finding comfort in the secure embrace of her partner.

Yang tore her eyes away from Blake long enough to look at her sister.

"You need to show Weiss that she has nothing to be ashamed about. So she doesn't look like an airbrushed model, and that's okay. She looks like something better, she looks like a huntress, and there's no shame in that. Only a fervent, unending pride. Weiss went into battle and emerged victorious, and now she has proof that no matter what happens, she will fight and survive, and I can't find anything to fault about that."

Ruby nodded slowly.

"I think I understand." She said. She looked up at Yang, then stuck her tongue out in mock disgust.

"Okay, I'm leaving before you two get all kiss-y on each other." She stood, smoothing out the front of her battle skirt as she flicked her hair back out of her face.

"Thanks for the advice Yang." Silver eyes slid to Blake, although Blake was still staring at her lap.

"Thanks Blake."

Blake looked up, an unreadable expression darkening her golden eyes.

"For what?" She asked.

Ruby tilted her head toward Yang.

"Someone has to take care of Yang, and if there's anyone strong enough to do so, I know it's you." Ruby smiled, then before Blake could respond, she turned on her heel.

"See you later guys!" She threw a wave over her shoulder before disappearing out the door.

Yang stared at the door her sister had just left through, before she felt a gentle tugging on her hair. Looking down, she closed her eyes as Blake slid a hand around the back of her neck, gently pulling her in for a soft kiss on the lips.

* * *

"Weiss! There you are!"

Weiss turned at the sound of her young partner's voice, her icy blue eyes narrowing at Ruby's excited tone.

"Ruby!" She scolded, her voice hushed.

"This is a library, try to keep it down!"

Ruby's silver eyes widened as she clasped both hands over her mouth, an 'eep!' escaping her as she noisily crashed into one of the wooden chairs across from Weiss.

Weiss scowled, looking around to see if Ruby had disturbed any of the other people around her. Her gaze softened a bit as she realized that the library was largely devoid of people, at least, in her section it appeared so.

Fixing her gaze on her red themed partner, her eyes narrowed further as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What do you want?"

Ruby flinched slightly, the tone and sharp words seemingly excessive even for Weiss.

Instantly Weiss' scowl disappeared as she felt a twinge of regret lance through her.

"Sorry, that was a bit more rude than I intended."

"Yeahhh... " Ruby drawled quietly. Raising her hand above her head, she grinned.

"Your waaaay up here, living in the iciest of ice palaces, and I need you down here, where the winters are harsh, but ultimately survivable." She said, lowering her hand to about chest level.

Piercing blue eyes studied Ruby intently, wordlessly, until Ruby chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head apologetically.

"Yang pulls that one off better than me... " She mumbled under her breath.

"Ruby... " Weiss sighed, reaching up to rub her face as if the mere act of existing in Ruby's ever-excited presence was simply exhausting. Lowering her hand to the table, she threaded her fingers together and tilted her head ever so slightly to the left.

"What can I help you with?" She tried again, glancing down at her open book for the briefest of moments before returning her attention to her partner.

"I wanted to talk to you." Ruby said proudly.

Weiss glanced down at her book once more, her gaze lingering on it pointedly before returning to meet unwavering silver.

"I'm kind of preoccupied at the moment." Weiss hinted.

Ruby didn't back down, merely shrugging off Weiss' words.

"It's important."

 _Of course it is._ Weiss thought to herself. Glancing down at her book, she committed the page number to memory before closing the book and setting it aside. Folding her hands together, she leaned forward and fixed Ruby with her most attentive stare. She held the silence for a moment, wondering if Ruby would break it.

Surprisingly, Ruby stared back, for once not fidgeting or bouncing around in her seat. Weiss was even certain that Ruby wasn't swinging her legs back and forth under the table, courtesy of her short stature.

 _Maybe it is important._ Weiss blinked, then hummed softly to herself.

"What is it, then?"

Ruby's face took on a look of determination.

"I've noticed that you've been extra icy and snappy lately, and as your partner and leader of team RWBY, I feel it is my duty to help you with whatever it is that is bothering you. So, Weiss, wha-"

"It's nothing." Weiss cut her off coldly, glaring at her partner.

"Thank you for your concern, but it's none of your business."

Lowering her gaze to the table, she was about to pick up her book, when two tiny hands snatched it away.

"Weiss, I'm making it my business."

For a moment, Weiss was unsure of what to do. In an instant, she had been both confronted, and her opinion over-ridden, and she wasn't sure what to do. Her first instinct was to throw a fit, and ask Ruby if she knew who she was talking to, but as she ground her teeth together in frustration, she quickly realized that it would have been a pointless endeavor.

Of course Ruby knew who she was talking to. The girl simply didn't care, and that was the problem.

Clenching her hands into fists, she raised her head to examine the tiny girl across from her.

"Ruby, I-"

"Weiss." This time it was Ruby who interrupted her partner, and Weiss was temporarily stunned into silence by the audacity of the girl in front of her.

"Weiss," Ruby continued, now that silence reigned, "I think I know why you've been so upset lately."

Weiss opened her mouth, then closed it as she found herself at a loss for words. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then crossed her arms over her chest as she tilted her chin up, raising an eyebrow and looking down at Ruby.

"Oh? You think you do, do you? Try me."

Ruby seemed to have lost a bit of her confidence now, and she looked to the side for a moment.

"Well, I think you might be a bit upset by... by the scar on your eye." Ruby spoke meekly now, as though she were second guessing her decision to approach the subject, lacking the boldness she had possessed only seconds ago.

Weiss huffed impatiently.

"Nonsense. I've had this scar for a while, now. It's a trivial thing, at this point."

Ruby looked up at her, worried silver meeting guarded blue.

"Weiss, I know that it's a bit more obvious now, and it doesn't quite blend in with your pale skin anymore now that you've been getting a tan, and that it might be affecting your self confidence an-"

"Ruby, just stop." Weiss' tone was filled with impatience.

Ruby opened her mouth to reply, but seemed unsure of what to say.

For a moment there was silence between them. It was only for a moment, but seemed to stretch on forever. After some time, Weiss broke the silence.

"Hypothetically... " Weiss spoke quietly, lowering her gaze to the table as she idly drew patterns with her finger across the desktop.

"... If it were to bother me that my scar was a bit more noticeable, and it make me feel pretty bad about myself... "

Weiss looked up to her leader.

"What would you say about that?"

Ruby cleared her throat softly, hesitating for a second before leaning forward.

"Weiss, to tell you the truth, I like it."

Of all the things Weiss was expecting, it wasn't that.

Leaning back, her eyes widened slightly as she regarded her leader with an unreadable expression.

"You what?"

Ruby nodded slowly.

"I like it." She repeated. "It... "

Now she seemed to be at a loss for words, struggling to describe how she was feeling.

Weiss waited patiently.

"It doesn't define you." Ruby finally spoke, choosing her words carefully.

"It's a part of you, but it doesn't define who you are. You're so much more than a blemish on your skin, and anyone who can't see past that isn't worth a second thought. It fills me with no small sense of pride, Weiss, to see you as you are. That mark that cuts through your eye fills me with a sense of pride, that I can be the leader of someone like yourself. Someone so undeniably strong and resolute, someone able to overcome any challenge thrown their way. And it's not a bad thing, to have the scars to prove it. I'm proud of you, Weiss, for all that you are and everything that you've accomplished, and I cannot wait to see what else you can do."

Ruby's face was darkened with a heavy blush, but she refused to break eye contact with Weiss.

"I just wish you were as proud of yourself as I am of you."

Weiss was the first to look away, her vision blurring as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. A thousand thoughts ran through her head as she tried everything she could to distract herself from Ruby's kind, heartfelt words, but nothing she did could stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

Bowing her head, afraid that Ruby would see, she stared unseeingly at the desktop before her. She ground her teeth together as her breath quickened, and she gripped the edge of the table with white knuckles.

It was so surprising, she thought, that this is the place that she would find acceptance. She had fought so hard, studied so hard, to uphold the values of her family so that one day maybe her father, maybe her sister would be proud of her and all that she had done.

Yet here was this small girl- practically a child- lavishing her with praise and adoration and she didn't want to admit that it was something she so desperately craved-!

Ruby's hand gently caressed her cheek, raising Weiss' face up until watery blue met concerned silver.

"Weiss... " The name left Ruby's lips in a soft breath, concern written all over her face.

Weiss' eyes widened, and she jerked out of Ruby's soft grip, scrubbing angrily at her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

"I don't need you to be proud of me." Weiss whispered, a dark blush staining her cheeks as she looked anywhere but at Ruby.

Ruby smiled, and stood up. Rounding the table, she came to a stop behind Weiss' chair. Placing her hand on Weiss' shoulder, she leaned down and gently kissed the top of her head.

"Whether you need me to or not, Weiss, it doesn't change the fact that I am."

Straightening up, she patted Weiss on the shoulder before turning and walking away.

* * *

Author's Note: I wanted to do a White Rose fic, although this didn't turn out as White Rose-centric as I would have liked. It's also a bit of a continuation of the "Four Scars" arc I did a while back, and I'm sure most of you picked up on the subtle mentions of that. Reviews, thoughts, comments and criticism are all appreciated. Thank you for reading.


	33. Knockout

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty-Three: Knockout_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

Summary: Blake sustains damage during battle, leading to a team upset.

* * *

"It's not working!" Yang yelled in frustration, firing off shot after shot from Ember Celica as she ran all out, strafing alongside a particularly difficult Deathstalker. Her rounds bounced off the armored exoskeleton harmlessly, seeming to annoy the creature more than anything. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Weiss backpedalling to gain some distance between herself and the beast.

A bit further away, Ruby raised up her scythe to block a swipe from one of the giant claws, the force pushing her back as she skidded through the dirt and kicking up dust as she grunted from the impact.

"Blake! I need distance! Shadowstep!" Ruby called out. Pointing Crescent Rose at the ground, she pulled the trigger as she stepped on the blade. Gripping the handle tightly as she was launched into the air, her silver eyes scanned the trees for the familiar flash of Blake.

As she reached the apex of her jump, a Blake shadowclone materialized beneath her. Bringing her weapon up, she chambered a round with an authoritative metallic clink as she brought her knees to her chest. Beneath her, shadowclone Blake brought her feet up, placing them against Ruby's boots before pushing off.

Ruby kicked off the shadowclone as hard as she could, launching herself further into the air and backward out of range of the Deathstalker's tail as Blake's shadowclone disappeared, it's job finished.

Her blade folded up and out of the way as she brought her gun to bear upon the Deathstalker, and she fired off four quick shots before ejecting her empty magazine.

Falling toward the ground now, she quickly slammed another magazine into the port as she once more unfolded Crescent Rose. Landing deftly on the ground, she looked around for Weiss. Spotting her near the Deathstalker's right side, she quickly formulated a plan.

"Weiss! Regroup for Iceflower!" She called. She saw Blake appear for a split second, blade catching the light as she laid three lightning quick slashes across the Deathstalker's back before disappearing into the shadows.

Three white glyphs appeared to hover in the air as Weiss used them as stepping stones to kick off, zig-zagging over to Ruby and landing lightly beside the red-cloaked girl.

"Just say the word." Weiss said coolly, Myrtenaster at the ready as a pulsating glyph formed in front of her, rotating slowly.

Silver eyes scanning the battlefield, she saw her sister firing off two quick shots at the Deathstalker's tail, both missing by inches as it swayed back and forth.

"Yang, fall back!" Ruby shouted. Instantly, two successive explosions were heard as Yang launched herself backward with her gauntlets, retreated to land beside her sister.

"What's the plan, sis?"

Ruby turned her stare back to the Grimm, which had paused it's advance to stare at them, swaying side to side.

From the trees, Blake dropped down beside Yang on silent feet, landing in a crouch.

Ruby swung her scythe down, jamming the blade into the dirt and sighting down her barrel.

"Iceflower, and when it's immobilized, Shadowbang. Bumblebee to finish it off."

Yang brought her fists up, glancing sideways at her partner.

"Ready whenever you are."

Ruby chambered a round, an empty shell falling to her feet.

"Iceflower!" She yelled. Beside her, Weiss was bathed in a brilliant white light as she summoned a freezing spell. A glyph appearing in front of Ruby's gun with a wave of her sword, Ruby fired, launching the spell toward the Deathstalker.

It slammed into the left claw of the Grimm, freezing it and weighing it down. It slammed into the ground in a shower of dirt, a roar of displeasure reaching their ears as the Deathstalker struggled to lift it's claw.

"Once more!" Ruby cried, pulling the trigger. White light lit up the dark forest as the spelled streaked toward the Grimm, slamming into the right claw and encasing it with dense, rock hard ice.

Tail shaking furiously, the creature let out an angry growl as it struggled to free itself from it's icy prison.

"Blake, Shadowbang!"

In a flash, Blake disappeared from Yang's side. Making a beeline for the encumbered beast, a shadowclone got as close as she could before diving underneath the struggling Grimm.

Taking careful aim, Yang raised her right fist and fired off one shot. In an instant the burn-infused shadowclone erupted, exploding near the Grimm's soft underbelly. A tortured roar cut through the air as the beast redoubled it's efforts to break away.

"Good, now, Bumblebee, finish it off!"

Yang dashed forward, propelling herself to lightning fast speeds as Blake materialized in front of her. Throwing out her weapon to Yang, she pulled her ribbon tight as Yang grabbed a hold of Gambol Shroud.

Leaning into it, Blake whipped Yang toward the immobilized Deathstalker as hard as she could.

Releasing her grasp on Blake's weapon, Yang grinned as she brought up her weapons, firing off shot after shot into the vulnerable dark red eyes on top of it's head.

Suddenly Blake was beside her, something they hadn't rehearsed before. Caught by surprise, Yang looked at her, taking her eyes off the strugging Grimm.

"Blake, what're yo-"

"Look out!" Blake yelled, pushing off a rapidly generated shadowclone and bodily shoving Yang out of the way. Yang felt the air being forced from her lungs as Blake shouldered her in the stomach, knocking her off course and out of the air as the Deathstalker's stinger came whipping down inches from her face.

Slamming into the ground, Yang saw the tail catch Blake squarely across the side of her head, knocking her to the ground a few yards away.

Yang reached out for her partner, and she felt her lips forming her name, but no sound reached her ears as she struggled to breathe.

"Yaaang!"

Yang faintly heard her sister calling her name, then two distant shots reached her ears, and from the corner of her vision she saw the Grimm slowly begin to dissipate, signaling it's defeat.

Closing her eyes, Yang tried to inhale, but her lungs seemed to have forgotten how to work. Her heart hammered in her chest, and blood pounded in her ears as she felt herself starving for oxygen. She tried to push herself to her feet, but she collapsed to the dirt clutching her stomach as her head pounded painfully.

In seconds, Ruby was by her side. Her concerned voice reached her ears, but she couldn't focus on what Ruby was saying as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Yang! Yang, are you okay?"

After what seemed to be an eternity, air began filtering into her lungs, and she coughed as she blinked tears from her eyes.

"...ake... "

Ruby leaned closer, silver eyes wide as she touched Yang's shoulder.

"Yang, what are you trying to say?"

Another gasp, another cough.

"Blake... "

Ruby looked up, concern shining in her eyes as she looked to where Weiss was standing, hands on her hips as she bent over and carefully inspected Blake.

"Weiss, is she... ?"

Weiss nudged Blake's prone body with the toe of her pristine white boot, then straightened up and looked at Ruby, shrugging.

"She's breathing, but she's out cold." Was the flat reply.

Ruby sighed exasperatedly at Weiss' outward lack of empathy, but was happy that Blake was okay.

"Okay, let's get her and Yang back to Beacon and into the medical ward."

"I'll do it." Yang grunted, cursing softly as she rolled onto her stomach before slowly pushing herself up onto her feet.

"Yang... "

Yang swayed unsteadily on her feet for a moment, before her boots found traction on the torn up ground. Reaching up, she brushed her golden hair from her face before retracting her weapons into their stored form.

"I'm okay." She said, her voice wavering slightly. Violet eyes found her prone partner, and she grimaced, hands clenching into fists as she took a few shaky steps toward her partner.

"Yang, c'mon, Weiss can carry Blake."

Weiss rolled her eyes, instead reaching into the small pouch on her waistband and withdrawing a small nail file. Inspecting her still nearly flawless nails, she ran the file around the edge of her thumb with incredible precision, blue eyes narrowing as she concentrated on filing away even the most minuscule presence of roughness.

Violet eyes flicked from Weiss to Ruby, then down to Blake.

"I don't think the Ice Queen has much interest in helping her teammates." Yang growled, inhaling deeply as she ignored Weiss' high-pitched "Hey!" of protest.

Ruby whined softly, not saying anything as Yang fell to her knees in front of her partner. Gently rolling Blake onto her back, Yang took a moment to inspect the Faunus girl for any obvious injuries.

There was a sizable bump forming on her forehead, and a multitude of scrapes and scratches adorned her body. A bruise was beginning to discolor her cheek, and there was a smear of blood on her lower lip where one of her fangs punctured through upon impact with the ground.

Cursing softly, Yang gently gathered her unconscious partner up in her arms, grunting in pain as she heaved herself to her feet.

When she was sure she had her balance, she shook her blonde hair out of her face. Clutching her partner bridal-style to her chest, she turned to look at the remaining two teammates over her shoulder.

"Let's get a move on, Beacon isn't exactly close."

Ruby nodded, folding up her weapon and stowing it on her waistband. Glancing at Weiss, who had already holstered her rapier, she began following her older sister as Yang cut a path back to Beacon.

* * *

The waiting room door opened on silent hinges, but Yang was already on her feet when the doctor poked his head out. Spotting Yang, he stepped outside, slowly closing the door behind him.

Beside Yang, Weiss barely raised her head from her scroll to acknowledge the doctor, absorbed in some online article. Ruby, on Yang's other side, shot Weiss a sideways look before turning to face the doctor.

"Ah, Blake is awake, but she's heavily medicated. It would be best if you went in to see her one at a time."

Yang stepped forward at the same time Ruby jumped up from her seat, but the doctor held up a cautioning hand.

"She's been repeating one name over and over, so whichever one of you is Yang, I'd suggest you be the first to go see her."

Yang glanced at her sister, who nodded, sitting back down.

"Go ahead, go see your partner." Ruby smiled.

Yang took a deep breath, then strode forward. The doctor sidestepped out of the way, gesturing toward the door and bowing slightly before folding his hands together.

Yang placed her hand upon the handle, hesitating for only a second before twisting it and pushing the door open.

Stepping through, she glanced at the doctor for approval. He nodded, and she shut the door carefully behind her, sealing off the room from prying eyes and ears.

Turning back toward the hospital bed taking up most of the room along the far wall, Yang's eyes sought out her partner as she stepped cautiously forward.

"Yaaaang?"

Yang's breath caught in her throat at the sound of her partner calling out her name, and she stepped up to the side of the bed, looking down at Blake.

Blake was laying on her back on the crisp white sheets of the bed, a thin white sheet covering her up to her stomach. There was a small thin wire attached to a sensor taped to the back of her hand, but other than that she was unencumbered by wires or tubes.

Yang inhaled sharply at the sight of her partner. Blake's normally sharp golden eyes were barely open, a dull gold hidden behind heavy lids. Her usual pristine raven hair was messy, and a dark bruise colored her right cheek. Her lower lip was swollen slightly from where she had bitten through it, and the bump on her forehead hadn't seemed to recede in the slightest.

Violet eyes traced their way down Blake's body, taking in the multitude of scratches and scrapes adorning her neck and arms.

"Wow, Blake. You really got roughed up." Yang clucked her tongue softly.

Blake blinked slowly, taking a moment to comprehend what Yang was saying. After a moment, her eyes opened slightly, focusing on Yang.

"My tongue is rough."

Yang's eyebrows furrowed over narrowed, confused lilac as she stared at her partner.

"What?"

"Seeeeee?" Blake drawled, opening her mouth and sticking her tongue out. She held that for a moment, temporarily going cross-eyed as she tried to focus on her tongue.

Yang sighed softly. "I'm glad you're okay. Seriously, what were you thinking? That wasn't what we had rehearsed!"

Blake's head tilted to the side as she stared wordlessly at her partner, and Yang realized that Blake wasn't in any shape to hold a conversation.

Raising a hand to her face, she rubbed her cheek before sighing once more.

"Nevermind." Yang said. "I'm just glad you're okaaaa-oh God you don't have your bow on." Yang's gaze was drawn to Blake's bowless head as she realized that Blake's Faunus ears were out and twitching at every sound that caught her attention.

Blake tilted her head back as she tried to look up, attempting to see what Yang was so intently focused on.

"Whaaaa?"

Yang would have laughed at Blake's bewildered expression if it weren't for the deep, uncontrollable heat rising up the back of her neck. Her eyes slid away from Blake's Faunus ears and she looked anywhere but at her partner.

"Uhh, nothing. I uh... " Yang glanced at the door over her shoulder, shuffling uncomfortably.

"Blake, I gotta go, but, uh, I'll see you soon, okay?"

Yang made to turn away, but a tug on her sleeve stopped her. Looking down, she saw Blake feebly grasping her shirt. Raising her embarrassed gaze to Blake's face, she saw the raven-haired Faunus staring at her, frowning slightly.

"Blake... " Yang whined softly.

Blake shook her head, wincing as the movement sent pain streaking through her cheek and neck.

"Yaaang." Blake tugged gently on Yang's sleeve.

Yang felt her cheeks heat up as her gaze was drawn to Blake's ever-twitching ears, and she quickly mumbled an apology as she pulled herself out of Blake's grasp.

"Blake, I'll... I'll see you later." Yang nearly tripped over herself as she hurried to the door, tearing her eyes away from Blake's disappointed face.

* * *

Author's note: Part one of at least two.


	34. My Right By Force Part 2

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty-Four: My Right By Force Part Two_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

You awaken slowly, having dozed off for far longer than you had anticipated. Opening your eyes reveals gentle sunlight peeking into your tent, dust motes floating in the quiet, serene air.

You open your mouth wide as you yawn, and your shoulder pains you softly as if to remind you of your latest failure in battle.

You mumble a curse as you snuggle back into the furs that make up your bed, and you reach up with your good arm to brush your hair from your face.

It is then that you notice your healer is still tucked into your right side, head resting on your damaged shoulder and her right hand on your stomach. You ignore the weight of her head on your injured shoulder, taking comfort instead from her slow, deep breaths.

At some point during the night she had awoken, you notice. She had stripped off all of her clothes, tossing them into a pile beside your own before laying back down beside you.

She was naked now, save for her leather collar. It was cool against you in stark contrast to her hot skin.

You closed your eyes and listened to her quiet breathing. Slowly, your breaths synced up to hers, and you reveled in the feel of her pressed to your side.

Although it pained you to do so, you wrapped your arm around her and pulled her closer, tucking her body in tightly against yours. Her breathing was interrupted for a moment, and a small moan escaped her before she fell silent. A second later and a soft, choppy purr began emanating from her throat, and her hand on your stomach curled into a fist for a moment before relaxing and rubbing your stomach softly.

Every muscle in your body seemed to be at it's most relaxed at this moment, and you truly wished the world would stop turning long enough for you to enjoy it a little longer.

Until you were disturbed, that's exactly what you planned to do.

Your healer's rumbling purr rippled through you in a pleasing fashion, and you hummed softly as her sporadically twitching cat ears brushed against your cheek with every random movement.

She was, you reflect, your most prized possession. That night you had raided that low lying mountain base village, you were attacking on the basis of a rumor, a whisper on the wind.

Surely enough, you had found her. Chained to a wall and near starving, hair matted to her skull and skin covered in filth, you had drawn your sword and freed her.

She became yours. You fed her, provided shelter and safety for her, and although you were harsh with your words and sometimes harsher with your hands, you cared for her. Under your care she had eaten well, put on weight until her skin shone with a healthy glow. Her muscle mass was returning, and her stamina increased every day. Her hair grew healthier by the day, subject to frequent cleanings and brushings by none other than yourself.

Her cat ears, the subject of myth and legend, were once patchy and raw with neglect. Now they were coated with healthy soft fur that shone in the ambient sunlight.

She was your healer, your pride and joy, the result of years of research into the myth surrounding half-demons and months upon months of searching and tracking, and you would die before you gave her up to anyone else.

The choppy, sleepy purring that soothed your nerves suddenly stops, and your dark violet eyes open. A soft murmur reaches your ears, and the girl in your embrace shifts slightly, her leg sliding over your waist to straddle you.

Her hand slides down your stomach to your bare hip, and she pulls herself closer to you as she nuzzles into you neck.

You turn toward her ever so slightly, still on your back but now angled toward her. Resting your head against hers, you nuzzle against her until she begins purring softly again.

Contentment floods your body and you sigh happily as your left hand comes up to rest atop hers, thumb stroking her skin softly, slowly, as your breathing slows and your peaceful mind risks pulling you back into unconsciousness.

* * *

You aren't sure if you fell asleep or not, but it was some time later when she stirs against you. You yawn once more, blinking tears from the corners of your eyes. As she nuzzles against your cheek and mewls contentedly, a sudden restlessness overcomes you.

"Oi, healer." You mumble quietly, shaking her gently. It almost pains you to disturb her comfortable slumber, but your warrior blood is beginning to boil and the shining sun is calling your name.

She shifts at the sound of your voice, squeezing her eyes closed and whining softly. After a moment, her brilliant golden eyes open, and she raises her head off your shoulder to look at you.

Dark lilac meets warm gold, and she sighs quietly in contentment. She rests her chin on your chest and stares appreciatively at you, her hand on your hip now tracing lazy circles against your skin.

Your gaze falls to her soft looking, cherry red lips, then raises back up to her half-lidded beautiful eyes.

You reach up and gently brush her long dark hair out of her face, thumb gently stroking her cheek before your hand falls away.

You roll over onto your right side, shifting her off you. She pouts ever so cutely at the loss of body heat, and for a moment you reconsider your actions.

A glance outside has you biting your lip in indecision, before you decide to push through.

Glancing down at the ivory skinned naked girl on your bed underneath you, you curse softly.

The leather collar her only accessory, your eyes trace her naked body with a certain hunger that you can't quite place. She knows better than to shy away from your gaze, and bares herself to you as if awaiting your command.

She's a good girl, you think, as you turn your back to her.

"Help me dress." You command, your voice rough and low.

Without question, she rises from the bed. Without bothering to get dressed herself, she begins grabbing clean shirts and shorts from your pack upon the floor.

With no shame in regard to her naked form, she dances around you as she assists you with the complicated task of getting dressed with one hand, you right arm essentially useless.

Her touch is gentle upon your skin as she pulls your undershirt over your head, and you could not be more thankful for her healing background as her sharp golden eyes quickly visually inspect your shoulder wound. She seems happy to not mess with the bandaging, and you step into a pair of tight underpants.

Your outer layer is a bit more difficult, the leather less susceptible to bending and conforming to shape.

Your healer makes short work of it though, and with minimal aggravation to your wound, you finish dressing.

She curls up on your bed of furs now and stares up at you with dark, golden eyes as she brings your blanket to her nose. You watch with no small amount of satisfaction as she softly inhales your scent, her ears laying flat against her head and her eyelids drooping as she exhales in contentment.

Grabbing your sword and strapping it to your side, you brush your blonde hair over your shoulder as you cast one more glance at your healer before exiting your tent.

Her golden eyes track you until you disappear, then she closes her eyes and buries herself deeper in your blankets, eveloping herself in your scent.

* * *

Author's note: I love cuddly sleepy bees.


	35. My Right By Force Part 3

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty-Five: My Right By Force Part Three_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

The last thing you see before you exit your tent is your healer cuddling into your pile of furs, and more specifically, one you had gotten her some months ago as a gift. It was the pelt of a wolf, a dark grey wolf with scatterings of black in his fur. His fur was extremely soft, and did an excellent job of keeping your healer warm during the night.

As you approach your men to plan out your day, your mind is cast back to the day you had gotten it for her. She was much more wary of you back then, and you understand why. Despite freeing her, your words and actions had been rough, and she had shied away from you, fearing you. She had feared that she had simply had ownership transferred, from one cruel owner to another.

You didn't want to be impatient and harsh with her, but out here, survival was difficult, and she was going to have to learn quick or die.

There was no way you were going to let her die. So she had to learn, through whatever means necessary.

* * *

 _"Vanir," You greet, adjusting your sword dangling at your side. He nods to you from where he sits in front of a dying fire, gazing into the burning embers._

 _"I need you to accompany me on a task." You say. He raises his head to fix you with a piercing stare, his small, beady black eyes studying you intently. Vanir is shorter than you by quite a bit, but built wide. His long, dirty blonde hair is secured to his head in a messy bun, and a mostly blonde beard adorns his face, although if you looked closely, you could see flecks of red throughout._

 _"What are we doing, Yaegar?" He asks, addressing you with your battle-name. You ignore it, despite preferring to be called by your given name, Yang._

 _"The snow will be flying soon, and we will be faced with a brutal Northern wind. We have a good place to set up camp for the winter, but our stores of meat are running low, and my healer isn't built for the winter like we are. I want to acquire a pelt for her."_

 _He nods as he studies your expressionless face._

 _"Wolf." It is not a question he asks, rather, a statement._

 _You nod wordlessly._

 _He sighs, then heaves himself to his feet._

 _"I'll grab my axe and my bow." He replies, turning away from you and stepping around the dying fire._

 _You thank him, before turning away and looking out into the forest's edge some distance away. The sun would be rising soon, so it would be best to get moving as soon as possible._

 _As the wind stirs up and blows through your blonde locks, Vanir steps wordlessly to your side, now armed to the teeth with weaponry._

 _The barren rocky ground under your feet makes no noise as you two proceed to the forest's edge with murder on your mind. You aren't sure what the likelihood is of finding a wolf to slaughter, but you figure it's worth the chance._

 _Wolf tastes mighty good over a fire, you think._

 _Stepping into the forest, the pre-dawn darkness swallows the two of you up._

* * *

 _It's some time before you find tracks in the dirt, your eyes straining against the dim morning light filtering to the ground through the thick canopy of trees overhead as you crouch down close to the dirt. They appear to be fresh, with large pads pressed deeply into the soft earth and deep nail marks embroidering the edge._

 _You glance at Vanir, and he returns the look, nodding._

 _"Fresh, heading North." His voice barely reaches your ears, so quiet was his whisper. You look back down at them and follow them for as far as you can see before you lose sight of them._

 _Nodding, you straighten._

 _"Let's go." You breathe silently. Behind you, Vanir shoulders his bow, careful to place his foot exactly where you place yours for fear of making noise._

 _You track the wolf for what you assume must be an hour, if not longer, before you come to a gentle rise in the terrain. Unsure of what is on the other side, you lay low as you creep up the small hill._

 _Pressing yourself flat against the dirt, you crawl forward until you can see over the edge._

 _The hill gives way to a small valley. Down at the bottom of the hill seems to be a natural clearing, and there's a small creek that winds it's way through the terrain, providing clean running water to whoever should stumble upon it, and sufficient ambient background noise to cover up a stealthy hunter's sounds._

 _There! You point with your middle finger down toward the creek's edge. Vanir looks toward where you are pointing and spots your prey. A large male wolf, seemingly alone. His fur is beautiful, a large full coat of dark grey fur, interspersed with patches of black near his shoulder blades, chest, and haunches. He is at the creek's edge, lapping up the water as his sharp ears swivel back and forth in search of predators._

 _Slowly, carefully, you adjust a sturdy metal bracer on your right arm. You make sure it covers your wrist and is securely fastened as you plan your next move._

 _Glancing at Vanir, you tilt your head toward the wolf, then your eyes fall to the bow slung across his back._

 _He understands, and slowly pushes himself up into a kneeling position. Silently unslinging the bow from his back, he takes one of the three arrows he keeps strapped to his left leg, nocking it on the string and drawing it back as he takes careful aim._

 _The bow creaks ever so quietly in the still morning air, but it is overpowered by the sound of wind chasing through the trees, rustling branches as the creek babbles on quietly below._

 _Suddenly the wolf raises his head from the stream, licking his chops as he looks around alertly for any sign of movement._

 _You both freeze, and he seems to not notice you as he lowers his head to the stream once more, lapping up the cold water._

 _With a twang, the arrow is released, streaking toward the animal almost too fast to see. It's an unlucky shot, however, as the arrow only partially grazes the wolf's flank._

 _You curse as you jump into a standing position, hand on your sword. You fully expect the wolf to run now, and you resign yourself to a fruitless chase, but as the wolf whirls around and spots you, you can't help but wonder if you're on it's territory as it lets loose a ferocious growl._

 _You advance forward with your right arm held out at chest height in front of you, elbow bent so that your arm is across your chest. Every instinct inside of you is screaming at you to grab your sword, but you fight that instinct as hard as you can as the wolf leans back on his haunches, clearly getting ready to fight._

 _It happens so fast. No matter how many times you hunt wolf, you're always stunned at how fast they are. One second he's leaning back on his haunches, the next he's gone, a shower of dirt kicked up as his nails find purchase in the soft earth._

 _You brace yourself for the impact as the wolf crashes into you. Your guess is that the wolf weighs nearly one hundred pounds, and you buckle under the force of the impact, and fall to one knee. Everything has gone to plan however, as the wolf's sharp jaws latch around your proffered forearm, teeth grinding against the metal bracer as it protects your flesh._

 _You're jerked side to side violently as the wolf tries to rip flesh from bone, but his teeth cannot find purchase upon your bracer. Quickly, before the animal can react or try to bite elsewhere, you reach down into your boot and withdraw a small, razor sharp blade._

 _With_ _a furious growl, you plunge the blade into the wolf's neck as hard as you can. Due to the thrashing and tugging, however, your strike is not immediately lethal. Blood coats your hand and the blade, and as the wolf thrashes in pain, you lose your grip on it. You're almost pulled forward onto you knees as the wolf jerks you forward, and your heart hammers in your chest as you make eye contact with the wolf, his dark brown eyes boring into your own._

 _You need to react quickly, having instructed Vanir not to interfere unless absolutely necessary. You didn't want any axe wounds or sword slashes marring the beautiful pelt, and had restricted all weapons to small knives and arrows._

 _Another violent jerk almost destabilizes you, and you resist the urge to stand, where you know you'll be more easily knocked off balance. You admire the tenacity of the wolf to not just turn tail and run, and part of you is glad for that as you don't want to spend time tracking a wounded wolf through the forest._

 _The wolf growls loudly, twisting his head side to side as his teeth slip off the edge of your bracer, sinking into your upper forearm near your elbow._

 _You grunt loudly in pain, then anger flares up inside you as you pull the animal closer to you with all your strength. His teeth strain against your flesh, and the wolf seems to know that he's made progress as he redoubles his efforts._

 _You can feel warm blood soaking into your arm, and you grit your teeth as you pull the wolf ever closer._

 _When the animal is close enough to your body that you can feel the heat radiating from it's muzzle, you reach over the top of it's head with your left arm, fingers finding the bottom of it's jaw. With a powerful twist you jerk the animal's head sharply to the left, and a high pitched whine cuts through the air before you're rewarded with the dull, hollow sound of bones breaking. Instantly the wolf falls silent and it's body goes limp as it falls to the ground, and your chest heaves with every breath as you pry it's teeth from your arm._

 _You fall to the ground, sitting beside the corpse of the wolf, and you take a moment to catch your breath. Your mood is soured by the fact that your gift to your healer will be accompanied by more work for her to do, and you briefly consider hiding the wound from her._

 _It's a foolish idea though, you think as you cast your gaze down to the beautifully colored wolf._

 _Your healer would be quite upset if she discovered you hiding wounds from her, and you didn't want to risk infection in your shield arm._

 _Your breathing slows, and you find your strength returning. Vanir looks down at you as you raise your gaze up to him, and he wordlessly offers you his hand._

 _You take it, and he hauls you to your feet with ease._

 _"Would you like me to carry the wolf, Yang?" He asks, using your given name now that the hunt is complete._

 _You cast your gaze down to the corpse, and shake your head._

 _"No. This is my gift, my idea, I'll bear the burdens."_

 _He nods, then leans down to help you pick up the wolf. With a bit of difficulty you get the animal slung across your shoulders, and when you're comfortable, you begin the long trek back to your camp._

* * *

 _It is nearly midday when you and Vanir make it back to camp, and you heave a sigh of relief as you fall to your knees before rolling the wolf off your shoulders and gently onto the ground._

 _The other three men, well versed in skinning and preparing animals, don't even need to be told what to do as they pull out long sharp blades, but you cast them a warning anyway._

 _"Do not damage the hide whatsoever." The tone in your voice tells them you're deadly serious._

 _"It's a gift for my healer." You warn._

 _Nods of understanding follow your words, and you leave them to the grisly task of carefully slicing open the beast as you rise to your feet and make your way to your healer._

 _You push your way into the tent, and your healer immediately turns her gaze to you to inspect you for damage. Her eyes fall to your arm, and she rises from your bed and makes her way to you. Her head is bowed in fear, and she refrains from eye contact as she slinks to your side. Her ears are pressed flat to her head, and her hands tremble ever so slightly as she reaches out to strip you of your slightly crushed metal bracer._

 _"Not here, in the middle of the doorway." Your voice lacks anger, but she can sense your exasperation._

 _She tries to say something, but her voice catches in her throat and she falls silent. You move toward your bed and gently lower yourself upon it. Immediately you relax as you stretch out your legs, and the raven-haired girl falls down to the bed beside you, dark hair cascading over her shoulder and hiding her face as her delicate fingers undo the clasps on your bracer._

 _In seconds she has it free, and she pries it from your forearm before setting it aside. Your eyes fall to the slightly deformed piece of armor, and you think that your most skilled metal-smith, Hegg, will have that straightened out in no time. You make a mental note to ask him to lengthen it slightly to reduce the chances of an injury like this reoccurring, and to add another notch to the steadily lengthening count of wolves you've slain._

 _With your bracer off, the healer reaches toward the foot of the bed where she keeps her pack. Pulling it close, she reaches inside and grabs a clean cloth. As she wipes the blood and dirt from your arm, you get your first glimpse at the puncture wounds in your skin. There are three on top of your forearm, and four on the bottom, although you got lucky this time. They weren't very deep._

 _The healer's shaky hands slowly get steadier as she loses herself in her work, and you stare at her as she disinfects your arm with a strange smelling blue liquid._

 _You analyse her as she works, the way her hair falls to her waist, the way her cat ears slowly perk up as she seems to forget how nervous she is around you._

 _She's absolutely beautiful, you can't help but think._

 _You didn't realize what you were doing until your fingertips brush against her cheek, and she jerks, a cute gasp escaping her lips as she shies away from you. Her eyes squeeze closed and she flinches away, a murmured "Sorry!" reaching your ears as she assumes she's hurt you._

 _Your hand falls to your lap as your heart falls to your stomach, and you turn your gaze away to look anywhere but at her._

 _"I... sorry... " Your voice is soft, and you stare at your lap._

 _She looks at you, then down at your arm. Slowly, she reaches out and resumes her work on your arm. Her touch is gentle as she wraps a clean white bandage around you, and she holds the bandage against your skin with one hand while the other reaches into her bag. Grabbing a strip of adhesive, she wraps it around your bandage to hold it closed. Bending down, she brings the end of the adhesive to her teeth to tear the end as her ears brush against your bicep._

 _You ignore the feel of her breath on your skin, the scent of her hair as best you can, until she pulls away, satisfied with her work._

 _"Thanks." You mutter._

 _She looks up at you, then nods meekly as she puts her supplies back in her bag. You briefly consider reaching out to touch her once more, but you fear that will do more harm than good._

 _Sighing discontentedly, you push yourself off your bed. Casting one more glance down at her, you shake your head before exiting your tent._

* * *

 _It's the next day, and your arm no longer hurts. Your healer insists that it stay bandaged for a few more days, and you humor her by keeping it on._

 _You're sitting on your bed, and in a rare moment of peace, your healer sits next to you. Your arm is in her lap, and she's gently massaging your forearm, her fingers caressing you through the bandaging. The sun warms the tent and makes you both drowsy, and as her fingers slow upon your arm, she gently slides over until her head bumps against your shoulder._

 _The touch bumps you from your thoughts, and you become aware of the weight of her head on your shoulder, her hands clutching your forearm. For the first time in your life that you can remember, embarrassment floods your body and you squirm uncomfortably._

 _An unfamiliar desire wells up inside you, pushing you to be closer to your healer. You bite your lip as you glance down at her, and your eyes are drawn to her cute little nose and soft, beautiful lips. Her raven bangs obscure part of her face, and you reach over and gently brush her hair from her face._

 _The touch startles her awake, and she jerks away from you. Her golden eyes widen in surprise, and she looks around before her wide eyes settle on you._

 _The two of you stare at each other for a moment, before a dark red tint rises in her cheeks. Slowly, she moves back toward you, breaking eye contact as she looks down at her lap. Ever so gently, she rests her head on your shoulder, and black and yellow strands mingle softly._

 _You stay like that for a few minutes, listening to her quiet breathing. You aren't sure why, but your desire to be closer to her hasn't faded away, and you need to do something about it before it drives you mad._

 _Gently you pull away from her, and she immediately brings her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and bowing her head._

 _"Hey." You speak quietly, and her ears twitch at the sound of your voice._

 _"Look at me." Your voice is a bit more stern, and her head whips up to look at you, a dark blush adorning her cheeks._

 _You look away from her for a moment, scanning the side of your bed for the item you saw earlier. Finding it, you lean over to grab it before straightening up._

 _"Come closer." You command, patting the bed in front of you as you sit up and cross your legs._

 _She hesitantly moves closer on her hands and knees, and you insistently pat the bed once more._

 _She sits in front of you, unsure of what you want. You raise your hand, bringing the item in your grasp into her view._

 _"Let me brush your hair."_

 _She hesitates, then nods. Turning so her back is to you, she snuggles up close to you._

 _Your heart hammers in your chest as you stare at her adorable cat ears perked up ever so attentively atop her head, and you close your eyes for a moment as you try to calm your nerves._

 _Opening them, you focus on her hair. Starting at the top and working ever so carefully as you try to avoid pulling her hair, you began brushing her hair in long, languid strokes._

 _After a few moments, you can tell she loves it. She relaxes in front of you, no longer sitting quite so stiffly._

 _Her ears twitch every so often, and you listen to her breathing slow as you slowly, methodically, draw the brush through her soft raven hair._

 _It doesn't take long for her to fall asleep once more, and as she sways side to side in front of you, attempting to retain consciousness, you can't control the smile that lifts the corner of your mouth._

 _Soon, the tranquil peace is broken by a rustling at your tent, and it stirs your healer awake. Instantly, she stiffens, straightening in front of you but not daring to move without your word._

 _"Yang."_

 _You hear Vanir's voice outside your tent, and you tear your gaze away from your healer's soft shiny hair._

 _"Yes? Come in."_

 _He pushes aside the tent flap and steps into your tent. In his hands is the neatly folded wolf pelt that you slaughtered yesterday._

 _"Your fur, it's ready."_

 _"Bring it here." You order._

 _He steps closer, placing the fur beside you on your bed._

 _You thank him, and he exits._

 _"I got this for you, you know." You speak softly as you set the brush down. Reaching out, you grab the fur by an edge and unfold it. It has been well prepared, the flesh soft and supple. The fur bears no weapon marks, and is incredibly soft._

 _"M-me?" She speaks for the first time in a while, her voice timid._

 _"For you." You repeat, reaching around her to pull the fur into her lap. You wrap it around her, then without warning, wrap your arms around her and pull her backward into your chest._

 _She yelps at the sudden movement, and you chuckle as your arms encircle her waist. You pull her tightly to you, and rest your chin on her shoulder. With her soft hair against your cheek, you inhale her scent as you pull the wolf fur over the both of you._

 _"I got it for you... " You murmur, your voice low, "To keep you warm when I'm not here."_

* * *

Author's note: Yang cares, in her own special way. Reviews are always appreciated, let me know what you think.


	36. You're My Ten

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty-Six: You're My Ten_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

Author's note: All credit for this story idea goes to Reddit user /u/HazelBunny on the RWBY sub.

* * *

It was a beautifully sunny Sunday at Beacon, and the majority or students were taking this opportunity to get in some much needed relaxation and downtime. For most students, the upswing in training on top of a strict curriculum at one of the best schools in Remnant had them eagerly looking forward to such a day off, and team RWBY was no different.

Weiss, true to her nature, was still buried in books. However, they were fashion magazines, and not the usual study material that she perused at any given opportunity. She was leaning up against the headboard of her bed, magazine in her lap and a glass of ice water in her hand.

Ruby had decidedly forsaken anything even remotely related to school, and had even put off cleaning her beloved weapon. Instead, she laid on her stomach on Weiss' bed playing video games on a handheld gaming device, an untouched plate of chocolate chip cookies forgotten on the bed beside her.

Yang was a bit more restless with the downtime, but had decided to enjoy it as best she could. Sitting on the window sill next to their open window, she leaned back against the frame and closed her eyes as the sun beat down on her face. It was a gentle warmth that relaxed her muscles and seemed to soak up all the stresses of the past few weeks, and she never noticed her partner creep up beside her.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself."

Yang opened her eyes and turned toward her raven-haired partner, offering her a crooked grin.

"The sun is nice, Blakey." Yang said, gesturing to the Faunus. "You should come join me."

The raven-haired girl gently set down the book in her hand before folding her arms across her chest and leaning on the window sill beside Yang. Sharp golden eyes surveyed the campus below as they picked out the other students against the bright green grass and almost too-white stone courtyard.

Yang followed her gaze, looking down at the students from her high vantage point.

They were silent for a while as the gentle breeze flowing in through the window whispered through locks of blonde and black.

Unable to sit still or silent for very long, however, Yang unfolded one arm to point out the window, down at a particular student crossing the courtyard.

"See him down there?" Yang asked, violet eyes sliding over to her partner just in time to see sharp golden orbs snap to where she was pointing.

"Yeah...?"

Yang smirked. "He's about a seven, wouldn't you say?"

Blake turned her head to look at her partner, confusion wrinkling her nose ever so cutely.

"A seven... what?" She asked. Yang raised an eyebrow as golden eyes widened in recognition. Blake turned back to the student below, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly.

"Really, Yang?" She asked flatly. "Objectifying people and rating them based on physical appearances?"

Yang was silent, baiting her partner.

Sharp, dark golden eyes narrowed, then Blake huffed. "He's more like a four." She replied finally, giving in to Yang's little game.

Yang grinned, looking away from her partner and back out the window.

"Aaaaand he's a three. Wow. I did not know you could be that short!"

"Yang!" Blake slapped Yang on the knee, eyes darkening at Yang's rude comment. Yang merely chuckled, waving Blake off.

"Relax, Blakey. I'm not gonna say it to his face!"

Blake, at a loss for words, looked out the window. After a moment, she pointed down at a figure walking across the yard.

"I'd say he's an easy eight." Blake said softly. "Tall, long blonde hair, well built... "

Yang glanced sideways at her partner, cocking one eyebrow at the description.

"Oh, so that's your type, eh?"

Golden eyes blinked once, twice, then widened slightly.

"Err... no. He's just traditionally handsome, is all... "

Yang considered making a comment about Jaune, but a figure down below caught her eye.

"Ooh, ooh! She's at least as seven point five. I mean, look at those tittays!"

Blake slapped a hand to her face, cheeks reddening as Yang's exclamation drew the temporary attention of Weiss and Ruby.

"Seriously? Girls too?"

Yang frowned, eyebrows furrowing over serious lilac eyes.

"That's an awfully judgmental tone coming from someone of an entirely different race."

Blake looked taken aback at the loss of moral highground, and for a moment she floundered as to what to say.

"No, I- that's not... I-"

Yang laughed, reaching out to pat Blake on the shoulder.

"I'm just messing with ya Blake."

Blake was silent for a moment, bow twitching sporadically.

"I... I didn't mean it like that, I just thought... I didn't know you looked at girls like that."

Yang glanced sideways at her partner, catching the blush that was rising to her cheeks.

"What's it matter if I do?" Yang asked matter-of-factly.

"It doesn't."

Yang resumed people-watching, silence reigning between them for a while until Yang lazily raised her arm and pointed out another girl.

"Her." Yang said. "Long dark hair, wide hips. Seems like a quiet, bookish type. Bet she'd be an absolute freak in bed. That's a nine if I've ever seen one."

Yang looked at her partner from the corner of her eye, noting the way she bit her lip as she slightly bowed her head, saying nothing.

Reaching over, Yang nudged Blake with her elbow.

"C'mon Blake, what's your girl type?"

Blake refused to make eye contact with her partner, instead choosing to stare steadfastly out the window.

"What makes you think I have one?"

Yang hummed softly.

"It's pretty simple to me." Yang said. "You're either attractive to me, or you aren't. Gender doesn't really have a place in that equation."

Blake was quiet for a long time after that, and Yang was sure that their little game was over. Giving up, she leaned her head back against the window frame and closed her eyes.

Soft murmurs from Ruby and Weiss reached her ears, and she could almost feel herself dozing off until she was gently nudged awake by Blake.

"There." Blake nearly whispered this time, her long dark hair hanging over her shoulder and obscuring her face from view.

Yang followed her pointing, spotting a tall blonde haired girl walking through the grass.

"She's gorgeous. Tall, amazing figure. Probably cracks terrible jokes all the time, but genuinely cares about her friends."

Yang raised an eyebrow, waiting. Blake seemed finished though, so Yang spoke up.

"And?"

"And what?"

"What would you rate her?" Yang asked, watching the girl's hips sway as she walked away from them toward a set of double doors leading into the adjacent building.

"Oh!" Blake seemed to have forgotten. "She's an eight. Maybe eight and a half."

Yang laughed, pushing herself off the window sill.

"Something tells me you don't think anyone's a ten." Yang said, tilting her head side to side to work out the kinks in her neck. Blake didn't seem inclined to offer a reply, and Yang didn't wait for one.

"I'm gonna go to the cafeteria, I'll be back in a bit. Do you want anything while I'm down there?"

Blake didn't even look at her partner, still staring resolutely out the window as she shook her head.

"No thanks." Was her quiet, distant reply.

Yang thought briefly about asking what was up with her partner, but her growling stomach made her rethink her priorities.

More than likely just Blake being Blake.

Throwing a wave over her shoulder, she strode out of the room.

* * *

"Oh, hey Velvet!" Yang greeted, turning an apple over in her hand as she waved to the Faunus with the other.

"Mind if I join you?"

The brown haired girl gestured to the seat across from her, nodding.

"Please do." She spoke in that ever so pleasing accent.

Yang grinned, dropping into the seat across from her.

"Enjoying your day?" Yang asked, biting into her apple and humming appreciatively as juice flooded her mouth.

Velvet dipped her head once more, her Faunus ears dipping slightly with the movement as she wiped at her mouth with a napkin. Chewing slowly, she swallowed and licked her lips before replying.

"Absolutely." Her chocolate brown eyes shone with excitement as she waved her spoon around.

"Coco and I are heading into Vale after lunch to go shopping. She thinks I need to update my wardrobe, which is funny because we did that just a few months ago."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Well, that girl does like spending money, and I imagine she doesn't mind watching you change either."

Brown eyes widened in surprise at Yang's statement, and her soft bunny ears stood straight up.

"Excuse me?" Velvet asked, an almost unnoticeable tint discoloring her porcelain skin.

Yang opened her mouth to reply, always willing to stir up trouble, when her scroll vibrated in her pocket.

"Sorry, one sec." Yang said, reaching into her pocket and fishing it out.

Flipping it open, she saw it was a text from Blake.

 _'I think I found my ten.'_

Underneath was an attached photo of Yang, taken from their dorm window, as she crossed the courtyard earlier on her way to the cafeteria.

* * *

Author's note: The /r/RWBY sub is a goldmine of cute pictures and fantastic ideas. If you haven't visited it before, drop by and take a look around, maybe contribute some content. As always, reviews are appreciated.


	37. My Right By Force Part 4

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty-Seven: My Right By Force Part Four_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

It's early when you awaken this time. The sun has barely risen above the horizon, and the inside of your tent is still mostly dark. The morning rays attempt to light up your temporary humble domicile through the thin fabric walls, but they aren't yet strong enough to bathe you in their warm glow.

Still, there is enough light to see by, if only you would open your eyes.

Your healer is once again tucked into your right side, her arm around your waist and her head on your shoulder. You've come to expect this now, and the few odd mornings you've woken up without her strangely comforting presence against your side set you on edge until you discovered her outside, tending to whatever wounds your men inflicted upon themselves the night before whilst binge drinking.

It would ease the distress in your heart, to emerge from your tent and find her close by. The way her gaze caught yours, her demure smile gracing her lips as she looked at you, it settled you, and calmed your senses.

It had only been a short half year since you took her for your own, and of all the things you'd expected, the way she made you feel was certainly not one of them.

With your left arm free, you reach up high above your head and stretch. You bare your teeth as you yawn mightily, and as you reach out from underneath the familiar wolf pelt that covers the both of you, you become mindful of the brisk morning air that shrouds your skin.

It grows colder by the day.

A giggle reaches your ears, and you retract your arm back underneath the covers to where it is warm. Turning your head slightly, you finally open your eyes to look upon the beautiful face of your healer.

"What are you giggling at?" Your voice is barely a whisper, and rough from sleep.

Her shimmering, liquid gold eyes close momentarily as she nuzzles gently against your shoulder, then they open again to stare at you. You catch the barest hints of her nostrils flaring ever so slightly as she breathes in what you can only assume is your scent, and a low thrumming reaches your ears as she makes a quiet sound of contentment in the back of her throat.

"You, trying to look so fierce with your teeth bared." She teases you quietly.

"If only you had real fangs, you might actually be intimidating." Her voice is quiet, soft, as her hand comes up from your waist to idly trace random patterns on your bare stomach.

She smirks at you, then opens her mouth slightly. Just enough for you to see her elongated canines, the brilliant white of her teeth seemingly glowing in the darkness of your tent.

A soft pink tongue slowly cuts a trail over her sharp fangs, and you find yourself mesmerized by it, your eyes tracking it with an intensity usually reserved for enemies.

With lightning fast reflexes, she pushes herself up and lunges toward you. The blanket is thrown down to your hips and the cool air attacks your fevered skin as her hands find your wrists, pinning you down as her teeth find your throat.

You can feel her sharp fangs digging into your skin, but she's restrained herself just enough to keep from drawing blood. Her cat ears twitch sporadically, brushing against your cheek as you seemingly against your will tilt your head to the side to give her better access.

Slowly she releases her fanged grip on you, and a moment later her warm, wet tongue slides up against your throat as she washes over the gentle bite marks.

She's just playing with you, you realize after a moment.

You also realize, quite suddenly and startlingly, that you've never been more enticed.

Her tongue leaves your throat, and she begins to pull away from you as the early morning air chills your neck.

She doesn't get far, as your wildly superior strength overwhelms her grip on your wrists.

She yelps in surprise as you break her grasp on you, and you're careful not to hurt her as you sit up and wrap your arms around her neck.

You both freeze, and your heart hammers in your chest as adrenaline burns through your veins, the only movement being the constant swiveling of her ears.

Her wide, surprised golden eyes bore into yours unblinkingly, and for the barest of moments, the only sound between the two of you is deafening silence.

Then your instincts kick in, and you roughly pull her back to you as you force your lips against hers, eyes sliding closed as raw desire courses through your body.

You didn't have to force very hard, you soon find, and your heart skips several beats as she leans into you, pushing you down onto your back as she tangles her fists in your long, wild golden locks.

The kiss is unbridled and passionate, full of fervent desire. Her lips press tightly against yours as she tugs at your hair, and the moment you tilt your head to the side, her lips part slightly, inviting your tongue into her mouth.

You accept the invitation without hesitation, and the taste of her on your tongue is sweeter than you've ever thought possible. Your arms tighten around her, and her lithe body presses tighter to you as she moans weakly.

The kiss is over as suddenly as it had begun, and as you pull away from her hesitantly, you feel her teeth grazing your bottom lip and open your eyes in time to see an indescribable hunger clear in her eyes.

There's several moments of silence that hang between the two of you as you stare at each other, unblinking.

Your breathing is shallow and quick, in contrast to her slow, deep even breaths.

Part of you can't believe what just happened, and the other part...

... The other part of you isn't quite satisfied yet.

Neither of you have moved for several moments, and the warrior that resides in your heart isn't willing to back down.

You slowly reach out and caress her cheek, not breaking eye contact even as she nuzzles into your touch.

As if by unspoken mutual agreement, she slowly leans down until her lips are pressed against yours once more, this time much softer and much more slowly.

As your eyes slide closed and your hands find themselves entangled in her raven locks, your fingers scratch over the leather collar encircling her throat and a peculiar memory finds it's way to the front of your mind.

* * *

 _You were riding high when you rolled into your camp, reigning in your horse with one hand on her mane as the other ran through your blonde hair, brushing it back out of your face._

 _You hair was sticky and dark with blood, and the dark streaks and splatters continued across your face and down your throat. The front of your armor was stained with drying blood, yet nothing could wipe the grin from your face at the total victory you and your men had claimed._

 _Every single one of them, dead. All thirty of them, no match for the strength and cunning of you and your men._

 _You were the alpha, the elite._

 _Your violet eyes scanned the camp as you dismounted from your horse, patting her neck as she nudged you affectionately with her nose._

 _Your eyes found that black haired wench skulking around your tent, and you wiped the back of your hand across your face, smearing blood across your cheek._

 _You were the apex predator, and nothing was beyond your grasp._

 _You stalked over toward her, and when she spotted you approaching, her ears laid flat against her skull as she attempted to retreat within herself, gaze falling to the ground as her head dipped._

 _Coming to a stop in front of her, you reached up and grasped one of her cat ears between your fingers, giving it a light twist._

 _She yelped in pain, jerking away from you as she tried to pull her ear out of your grasp._

 _You merely laughed as you let go, letting your hand fall to your side._

 _"Follow me to the baths, it's easier to clean my hair with another person."_

 _She nodded wordlessly, folding her arms across her chest and staring steadfastly at the ground as she waited for you to lead the way._

 _Largely ignoring her behavior, you lead the way to a small body of water just inside the forest's edge._

 _You could hear the footsteps of your most prized possession falling into line behind you._

* * *

Your hand strokes her hair gently, slowly, from the top of her head just behind her cat ears to where it ends at her hips. Your eyes stare unseeingly at the top of your tent as she nuzzles into your side. Indecipherable thoughts are racing through your mind, appearing and disappearing before you can figure out what they mean.

You sigh quietly as you roll over onto your side to face the raven-haired girl. She smiles shyly at you, her golden eyes seeming to shimmer in the low light as she stares at you.

Your expression is unreadable as you analyse her, your dark violet eyes tracing over every detail of her face.

What a wonderful, beautiful creature you've managed to make your own, you think, as you reach out and wrap your arm around her hips. Pulling her tightly to you, you close the inches between you as you press your naked bodies together. She tucks her head under your chin, placing a soft kiss on your chest as she nuzzles gently against you. Her ears flick and twitch with each gentle breath of yours that pass over them, bringing a smile of amusement to your lips.

You close your eyes as a deep relaxation washes over you, and your mind wanders as you ponder the unexpected evolution of your relationship with this girl.

Your grip on her tightens ever so slightly, and she mewls softly in undisguised pleasure as her fingertips dig into your hips. A few seconds later a soft purring reaches your ears, the gentle vibrations tickling your chest as you bury your nose in her hair.

It's a startling and unnerving realization you've made as you think to yourself that although you used to think of her as your most prized possession, now you just think of her as yours.

* * *

Author's note: What a severe case of writer's block I've been fighting this month, especially combined with an ever-increasing workload and a drastic reduction in spare time. Ah well, I am far from done writing Bumblebee. Much more to come. I hope you've enjoyed thus far.


	38. My Right By Force Part 5

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty-Eight: My Right By Force Part Five_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

It grows colder by the day. You awaken abruptly, an innate sense of discord brewing inside you. A feeling of unease grips you as you throw back the furs covering your body, and you're instantly wide awake as you realize that your healer is not by your side. Clad in only a pair of knee length black silk shorts and a matching black sleeveless shirt, the cold seems to attack every inch of your bare skin.

Fighting down the panic growing in your chest, you force yourself to be calm as you move toward a large wooden chest set against one corner of your tent. Throwing it open, you reach inside and grab the large pelt of a black bear. Carefully unfolding the heavy, prepared hide, you slip it over your shoulders, the upper jaw and head coming to rest atop your golden locks with a comforting ease.

As you slip your hands into the paws, the tired old nails carefully replaced with serrated metal, the surrounding cold is defeated by your body heat and bear fur.

Standing up tall, you pull the black bear pelt tighter around your body as you kick your feet into a pair of black leather boots. Grabbing your work-weary bastard sword, you rest it's dulled edge across your shoulders as you duck out of your tent.

Straightening up, you reach up with your free hand to push your blonde hair out of your eyes as you survey your temporary campsite.

Your men are gone. Presumably, on a hunting trip. They must not have left too long ago, as the fire in the center of your camp was still burning, albeit barely.

The sun is not visible in the sky, for it is still early morning. Grey clouds block out the sky and a gust of wind blows past, attempting to steal your body heat but failing against the impenetrable fur that guards your body.

Your thoughts turn once more to your healer in an attempt to block out the uneasy feeling settling in the pit of your stomach, and across the field that makes up your camping site, you spot movement against the forest's edge.

You immediately set off in that direction, easily shouldering the weight of your sword as you step carefully over the rock and dirt terrain that separates you from the forest.

It doesn't take long to reach, and as you draw nearer, you catch a glimpse of your raven-haired healer walking slowly along the edge of the forest, an odd collection of flowers in her hand and the wind rustling through her long beautiful hair.

It doesn't take long to reach her, and as you approach her, you see her ears twitch, swiveling around to point at you with an alertness all their own.

As you come to a stop near her side, she bends down and carefully plucks a long stemmed blue flower. Adding it to the collection in her right hand, she straightens and turns to greet you.

At once the trouble-free expression disappears from her face and her golden eyes widen as she takes in your wild, angry appearance.

You cannot suppress your glare as you reach out and grab her by the collar, pulling her closer to you as you bare your teeth in an angry grimace.

She cannot keep herself from yelping in pain as she's jerked roughly toward you, and her golden eyes widen further in fear as she takes in your hooded eyes underneath the bared fangs of the black bear.

"What are you doing out here alone?" You growl, every muscle in your body twitching as you barely restrain yourself from striking her.

She trembles in your grip, although she doesn't shy away from you like last time, at least, not at first. When she doesn't immediately answer, you give her collar a sharp tug, eliciting another soft whine from her.

"Speak!" You command harshly, anger coursing through your veins and mixing poorly with the unease in the pit of your stomach.

Her left eye closes as she tilts her head to the right, now shying away from you as her ears press flat against her head in an attempt to block out your angry voice.

"I... I wanted to collect some flowers... " Her voice is meek and apologetic, and it immediately dissipates some of the anger building up inside of you. Slowly, she turns her gaze back to you, eyebrows raised worriedly.

You grind your teeth together as your fingers tighten around her collar, the leather creaking quietly in your grasp as the metallic serrated claws of your bear paw scratch mercilessly at her cheek.

"It's dangerous out here by yourself, you should know that better than anyone." Your words are clipped in an attempt to suppress your anger, but it doesn't work very well.

She nods, the action causing your bear claws to dig deeper into her soft flesh. Tiny pinpricks of blood appear on her skin, discoloring your shiny claws.

For a second your gaze falls from her shimmering golden eyes to the droplets of blood sliding down her cheek and over your claws, and you lick your lips unconsciously as you eye up her soft flesh.

You hear her breath catch, and you immediately return your gaze to hers. She's biting her lip now, staring unblinkingly at you and awaiting your response.

Cursing softly under your breath, you slowly release her. As you do, your serrated claws accidentally slip against her cheek, effortlessly extending the tiny pinpricks into four long thin slashes that curve down her cheek to her jawline.

She winces against the pain, but otherwise gives no indication that the slashes affected her. She doesn't move from in front of you, obviously awaiting your command as you stare at her. Slowly your gaze slips to her cheek, where small rivulets of blood are forming on her cheek. An uncomfortable desire is building within you, one that you try to stop before it grows out of control.

You heave a heavy sigh as you let your sword fall from your shoulder. Dropping it point down into the dirt, it wedges itself into the soft earth with ease.

"Sorry... " You whisper quietly. Although, at this distance, with her ears, she hears you as if you were shouting.

She takes a half step closer, and that's all the permission you need to reach up and carefully caress her unscratched cheek. You're careful not to inflict any more injuries to her with your weaponized claws, and the mounting desire you've been fighting with quickly wins out as you dip your head down and swipe your tongue across her bloodied skin.

Her gasp of surprise is audible, and she stiffens in shock as you pull away from her, savoring the metallic taste of blood on your tongue. Licking your lips as if to savor every drop, you can't stop a muted grin from spreading across your face as you pick up on a dark blush staining her cheeks.

The grin soon fades though as you realize the cuts are deeper than you had first thought. After a brief moment, the cleaned cuts are once again exuding blood, darkening her skin and dripping off her jawbone.

Your face is soon set in a scowl, but she gives no indication that she feels any pain. Her face is still a dark red as she looks up at you with wide golden eyes, her ears atop her head twitching sporadically.

"We should probably get back to the tent and get you fixed up." Your voice is rough, a combination of blood-induced desire and warped by no small amounts of regret.

She nods slowly, bowing her head as she brings her hands up in front of her. Your gaze falls to the bunches of flowers in her hand as she carefully withdraws a solitary bright purple flower with a petal pattern that looks vaguely rose-like. Careful not to damage the delicate flower, she brings it to her nose and inhales, eyes closed as she concentrates on the scent.

"I picked this for you." She breathes quietly, opening her eyes to fixate you with a passionate golden stare. "It reminds me of you, and is just as beautiful." Slowly she reaches out, offering you the solitary flower.

Your lilac eyes soften at the sudden gesture, and your heart skips a beat as the anger fades from your face.

Your throat is suddenly dry, and you seem to be at a loss for words. Tears form in the corners of your eyes before you can stop them, and you quickly blink them away as you reach out with a trembling hand to accept the flower.

The barest hints of a smile grace the raven-haired beauty's lips as she relinquishes her tenuous grasp on the flower, her eyes never leaving your face as you clench your jaw tightly.

Gently accepting the flower, you bring it to your nose as you inhale the sweet light scent. It's unlike anything you've ever smelled before, an airy perfume that threatens to overwhelm your senses.

"Thank you." You manage to say, an unknown emotion warring with the unease in your chest and making it difficult to speak.

She takes one more step toward you and wraps her arms around your waist. Nuzzling her unclawed cheek against your chest, she holds you tightly as you stare unseeingly at the ground, unshed tears blurring your vision.

After a moment, she pulls away. Staring up at you with vibrant, bright golden eyes, you cannot tear your gaze away from hers. For one long moment, you stare at each other wordlessly in the quiet, still morning air.

Then she blinks, and the spell is broken. Reaching up, you hurriedly swipe the back of your hand across your face, the soft fur of your bear paw effortlessly wiping away unshed tears from the corners of your eyes.

"Let's go." You manage to whisper.

Reaching out with your right hand, you take hers gently, your thumb rubbing the back of her hand as you turn and begin walking toward your tent. She smiles at you, then leans into your side as you both begin to slowly make your way across the grassy field.

You had barely made it ten yards when a thought crosses your mind, and you remember your sword. Releasing your grip on her hand, she casts a questioning look at you.

"I forgot my sword." You laugh, pointing over your shoulder at your sword stuck tip down into the earth at a slight angle.

She laughs quietly, a beautiful sound ringing through the quiet morning air, but you fail to notice just how eerily quiet it is as you turn around and jog back toward your sword.

Placing your hand upon the worn leather handle, you effortlessly pull the sword from the earth. Returning it to it's resting place across your shoulders, you turn toward your healer, who wraps her arms around herself and makes a shivering gesture, indicating she's cold. She then reaches out toward you, pleading for your warmth.

A smile crosses your face as you start toward her, eager to oblige.

* * *

A lone silver eye narrows as the blonde brute wearing the ridiculous bear hide doubles back for her sword, leaving a wide trail between herself and the Faunus she was reported to have enslaved. A dark red haired girl presses herself closer to the dirt as the blonde draws ever closer to the edge of the forest and the spot where she is hiding, but she has nothing to fear as she draws her dark red cloak tighter to her body.

The blonde doesn't pick up on her presence inside the forest, and the cloaked girl ducks lower underneath the hood of her cloak as she presses her nose to the dirt for a moment. When she's sure the blonde had drawn her weapon and started back toward her captive Faunus prisoner, she raises her head ever so slowly.

The blonde's back is to the forest now, and the cloaked girl slowly, silently, pushes herself up into a crouching position. Reaching down to the dirt beside her, she picks up a bow. Drawing an arrow from the thin quiver strapped to her leg, she nocks it, drawing the bow carefully. Raising the bow up, she adds tension slowly until she's at a strong three-quarter draw.

Sighting the Faunus girl, her silver stare expertly gauges the distance. Raising the bow slightly, she quickly casts a look toward the treetops, studying the leaves for any indication of wind strength and direction.

The leaves don't move. It will be the easiest shot she's ever taken.

Her right eye covered by a red scrap of cloth, her dark red hair obscuring most of her face and covered by a hood, her left eye sights down the arrow as she centers it on the raven-haired Faunus girl.

The blonde is still fifteen feet away from the Faunus healer, and wouldn't have time to react before the arrow pierced her heart, killing her.

The girl's hands don't tremble in the slightest as she sights her target. Inhaling deeply, she breathes out slowly and steadily. As her lungs empty of air and her mind clears of all thoughts, she draws back on the bow just a bit harder.

* * *

Author's note: Reviews are appreciated. And yes, there is indeed a purpose to Weiss and Ruby introduced way back in the first chapter. Let me know what you think, I really enjoy the feedback!


	39. My Right By Force Part 6

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Thirty-Nine: My Right By Force Part Six_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

The bowstring creaks ever so slightly under tension, and just as the girl is about to let loose the arrow, a hand enters her field of vision, grabbing the arrow shaft and snapping it effortlessly into splinters.

The singular silver eye widens in surprise, then the cloaked girl slowly lowers her bow to the ground before looking to her left.

There, crouching beside her in a similar style snow white cloak, albeit much more immaculate, is her queen. Strapped to her waist is her signature rapier.

"I'm not sure why you were pointing that at the Faunus, but you know I want her alive. There are precious few of her kind left in this world as it is."

A scowl darkens the archer's face, and she looks away, turning her gaze to the retreating oblivious figures.

"Of course." Is her only reply.

"For now, we don't act. I don't see the band of mercenaries present, and there's no point engaging in battle twice. Especially since, no matter how many they have, they are no match for us."

"What is your goal here, exactly, Weiss?"

The white-haired girl reaches up to brush her bangs out of her left eye, glancing sideways at her right-hand woman.

"We have to secure the Faunus girl. Alive. That's non-negotiable. I want her. After that, I'd like to interrogate this little rag-tag band of mercenaries. Whilst I can't let their brutal slaughter go unpunished, if we can spare more bloodshed, I'd prefer it. If they're truly dogs of no man, as I suspect they are, they will not heel to any line of questioning nor request for subservience. They'd rather die first. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that's what it will come down to. Although, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try every possible alternative first."

A soft groan from the red-cloaked girl as she slowly climbs to her feet.

"Weiss... " She whines softly. "We know they did it. Can't we just wipe them out and go home?"

"Ruby, enough." The white-haired girl snaps. "You will follow my orders, and that's final."

Ruby reaches into the air, stretching. Glancing sideways at the still crouching girl, she reaches up to touch the red cloth that covers her right eye.

"You know, that soft heart of yours is gonna get you killed one day."

A moment of silence, before the white-cloaked girl stands as well. Turning her gaze on her friend, she nods briskly.

"That very well may be true, but there's no other way I'd rather rule my lands."

With that, she turns on her heel, motioning for Ruby to follow as she disappears into the forest.

Sighing in exasperation, Ruby bends down and picks up her bow before following her queen into the foliage.

* * *

You're quiet as you walk back to your tent beside your healer. More-so than usual, you think, as you glance sideways at her. She seems to have no outward reaction to the blood drying on her cheek, and you smirk with no small amount of pride as you realize that she's tougher than she looks.

She would have to be, you realize, to survive as long as she has being what she is.

Her shoulder rubs against you as she carefully navigates over a small rock, and her fingers brush against yours. Almost without thinking, your fingers find their way into hers as she tucks herself closer to your side, and what started off as a tentative touch quickly evolves into a full hand-hold.

Your eyes are glued to the flower in your left hand, and you don't notice the way she smiles happily at you, reaching up to brush her hair behind her ear as she stares at your profile.

As a myriad of thoughts whirl through your head, you eventually clue in to the feeling of someone watching you. Glancing to your right, your lilac finds gold and your heart aches with an unfamiliar desire that you've never known in your entire life.

A blush heats your cheeks as you look away, and although her giggle reaches your ears, you ignore it in favor of trying to figure out exactly what it is you're feeling.

It's wildly unfamiliar, these feelings, but the rush is a lot like your battle high, and it makes you feel the same. The same elation you get when you dominate on the battlefield is the same way you feel when she nuzzles against you and falls asleep in your arms.

So deep you reside in your thoughts that you don't notice when you've arrived at your tent. Your healer pushes aside the flap and pulls you inside, her grip on your hand strong and unwavering. You shake your head in an attempt to clear your thoughts away, and focus instead on the beautiful girl in front of you.

She stops in the middle of your tent, turning to face you with a calm expression on her face. Immediately you reach out toward her cheek where her blood has dried upon her skin, but she shakes her head, reaching up to take your hands in her own and push them down.

You tilt your head at her, confusion furrowing your eyebrows. She smiles, releasing your hands. She reaches up and gently takes your bear pelt by the shoulders and pushes it off.

"Turn around." Her voice is soft, and although you've never heard anyone give you an order before and live long enough to regret it, for some reason you don't mind it at all when she says it.

Wordlessly you follow her command, turning around as she gently strips the heavy fur from your shoulders. At once the cold air returns, lapping against your skin as if you were plunged under water.

Your skin prickles, but you suppress your shivers as you listen to her pad softly over to your chest. A soft thump, then the gentle sound of wood on wood reaches your ears. A moment later, and she's returned. Her hands find your shoulders, and begin rubbing them gently.

Instantly you relax into her touch, her manipulative fingers teasing away stress you didn't know you had. Your head lolls to the side as her fingers slide gently up your neck, pressing and caressing you softly.

It ends too soon, however, as her hands fall away from you. You groan your frustration at the lack of contact, and she giggles quietly from behind you.

"Patience." She whispers, as her hands fall to your waist. There, she grips the hem of your silken shirt and tugs up on it gently. You immediately know what she wants, and you raise your arms above your head. She effortlessly strips your shirt off, tossing it onto the floor as her hands find your shoulders once more.

"Lie down." She commands softly once more, and her voice is silky smooth in your ears. You follow her command, moving toward your pile of blankets and furs and falling down upon it on your stomach. Folding your arms underneath your forehead, you close your eyes as you feel her weight sit beside you.

Once again her hands find your back, and you sigh in contentment as she begins slowly rubbing your sore, tired muscles.

"Were you that worried?" Her voice is timid once more, as if she were afraid to interrupt your thoughts, like she wasn't just ordering you around a moment ago.

"What do you mean?" You ask, biting your lip to suppress a moan as her hands find their way to your lower back.

She's silent for a long while, and you almost forget about it as her hands slide lazily up and down your back. The way her fingers knead away the soreness in your back is incredible, blanking out your mind as you focus entirely on her ministrations.

"Back there, this morning." She finally speaks, her hands sliding down to your hips. Her fingers slide under the waistband of your shorts as she gently digs her thumbs into your lower back dimples, and your breathing catches for a second at the alien feeling of her hands so low on your waist.

"You... seemed incredibly upset that I had wandered off so far. Were you upset that I wasn't at your side when you woke up? Because if so, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Your ears hear her words, but you have trouble deciphering them. There's a primal side of you that considers her your property. After all, you risked the lives of yourself and your men to aquire her, and if was your sword that provided the food that she ate. It was your bed she slept in, everything that she enjoyed was the result of you.

There's also an equally rebellious side of you that sees her as more than just your property, a valuable item that you worked so hard for. She was her own person, and to tell her that she had to get your permission to simply walk around threatened to make you sick in a way you wouldn't have thought possible a month ago.

Stomach churning uncomfortably, you think carefully about what you want to say. The words were a jumbled mess inside your head, but after a moment, you think you have a semi-coherent sentence.

"I... " You inhale deeply, sighing quietly as her hands slide up to massage your lats. After a second, you try again.

"I'm scared, sometimes. I worked hard to get you, and I don't want to lose you. Not only because you're valuable as a member of my group, but because you're important to me."

She hums softly, but gives no indication of how she feels about what you said. After a moment of silence, you continue.

"I don't want anything to happen to you, that's all. I know you want to roam and explore and have your freedom, and I want you to have that too, but... I want you to be safe, okay? I want to know that you'll come home to me afterward, where you belong."

"Where I belong?" She asks quietly, her hands pausing their ministrations on your back for the first time.

"And where exactly do I belong?" She asks.

You snort derisively. "Isn't it obvious, wench?" Your tone is teasing now. "You belong with me."

After a long moment, her hands continue. They slide lower, until her thumbs are hooked in the waistband of your shorts.

"I must say, I'm getting some very conflicting information from you." She says quietly.

You sigh in exasperation.

"That's because I don't even know what I want or how I feel!" You growl, your muscles tightening in frustration.

She 'tsk's softly, her hands sliding up to massage your shoulders.

You relax slightly, although you bite your lip worriedly.

"I want you to want to be with me. I don't want to own you, I don't want you to be unhappy, but... more than anything, I want you by my side for the rest of my life."

You're glad your face is buried in your arms as you feel her freeze up, and without seeing her face, you're unsure of how she'll respond.

She's still for a long time, you note, and with each passing second you grow more and more concerned. After a long moment, you attempt to sit up, intending on confronting her.

She appears to have a different idea, however, as she jerks into action, pushing you gently back down.

"You want me by your side for the rest of your life?" Her voice is strange, wavering slightly.

"You own me, where else would I go, but where you tell me to?" She asks quietly.

Frustration grows in the pit of your stomach and your teeth gnaw at your lip lest you curse out loud and startle her.

Her hands wander a meaningless path up and down your back, but it's an empty gesture that you can no longer take pleasure in.

Slowly, you push yourself up on your elbows and roll over. She stares at you, placing her hands in her lap as she regards you with an even gaze.

Sitting up, you gently reach up with your left hand to caress her cheek as you brush your hair from your face with your right.

Opening your mouth, your heart hammers in your chest as you find your voice.

"If... " Your voice cracks as your hand falls to the leather collar around her throat.

"If I set you free, would you stay by my side?"

Her liquid gold stare bores into your own relentlessly, and her beauty renders you short of breath.

"If I didn't, would you still want to set me free?"

* * *

Author's note: Ahh haha I love cliff hangers. Hope you enjoyed, feel free to drop me a review letting me know what you think, what you did or didn't like, things like that. Until next time, take care!


	40. Knockout Part Two

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty: Knockout, Part Two_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

It was a gentle, insistent vibration that grabbed Yang's attention, and she put her book down on Blake's bed as she picked up her scroll.

Sliding her thumb across the screen, she answered her sister's call.

"Hi Rubes, what's up?"

 _"Hi Yang. I was just passing the infirmary and went in to check on Blake-"_

"How is she?" Yang asked, sitting up and pushing her book away from her as she flicked her long golden hair over her shoulder.

On the other end of the line, Ruby merely laughed off the interruption.

 _"She's fine. A bit out of it, on account of the painkillers, but she's okay. They said she was okay to be released under supervision, and that the drugs would wear off in about twenty-four hours."_

"Is she coming back?"

 _"Yeah, I've got her. Yang... she keeps asking for you."_

Yang bit her lip, unsure of what to say. There was silence between them for a moment, until Yang cleared her throat softly.

"Uh, okay. Well, I'm here in the room, so... I guess I'll see you two when I see you."

Ruby hummed her affirmation, then hung up.

Heart hammering in her chest, Yang paused for a moment as a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. After a moment's indecision, she jumped off Blake's bed. Grabbing her book, she marked her page then closed it.

Tossing the book onto Blake's bookshelf, she slipped her scroll into her bra before running her hands over the front of her shirt. Nervousness wracked her body for reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint, and her mind flashed back to Blake in the hotel bed, ears unbound.

It was going to be okay, she thought to herself. It was just her partner. They would get her into bed to sleep off the painkillers, and when she woke up, she would put her bow back on.

Yeah, it was going to be okay.

Yang took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she ran her hand through her hair.

It was going to be fine.

Until the door opened, and Ruby walked through with Blake by her side, arm around Ruby's shoulder for balance.

"Blake!" Nervousness temporarily forgotten, Yang dashed toward her partner, reaching out to the raven-haired girl as Blake perked up at the sound of Yang's voice.

Ruby's red cloak was draped over Blake's head, and Yang assumed it was to hide Blake's ears from anyone they might encounter in the hallways on their way back.

Golden eyes widened slightly, and a grin spread across Blake's face as she shrugged off Ruby's cloak. Her cat ears twitched in their new-found freedom, and Blake pulled away from Ruby to throw her arms around Yang's neck.

"Yaaaang!" Blake nuzzled into Yang's shoulder, eyes closed as Yang hesitantly wrapped her arms around Blake's waist.

"B-Blake?"

Blake pushed herself against Yang, nearly unbalancing the girl and knocking her over.

"W-whoa, easy-!"

Ruby giggled, picking up her cape from the floor where it had been carelessly discarded. Lovingly wiping off imaginary flecks of dust, she slung it over her shoulders and fastened it securely as she raised her silver gaze to her sister.

Blake pushed herself up against Yang, nuzzling against her cheek with her eyes closed and a wide grin on her face.

"Ruby, is she... ?"

Ruby shrugged. "Like I said, the painkillers will wear off in a day or so. The good news is, she got a mostly clean bill of health!"

Yang gently pulled her partner over to the bed, an uncontrollable heat rising in her cheeks as Blake's soft, furry ear twitched against her cheek.

"Well, if we can get her tucked into bed, then she should fall asleep with no problem, right?" Yang asked, finally managing to break herself free of Blake's tentative grasp around her neck. Gently, she guided the unsteady girl to the edge of the bed, slowly lowering her down until Blake was sitting on the edge. As Yang attempted to step away from Blake, however, the girl vehemently shook her head, shutting her eyes against the pain as she reached out and grabbed a handful of Yang's shirt.

"And what do you mean, 'mostly clean bill of health'?" Yang asked, turning mildly alarmed lilac eyes upon her younger sister as Ruby's words finally registered in her mind.

Ruby, grinned, reaching up to scratch the back of her head.

"Well, " Ruby began, "She's mostly fine, but she may be slightly concussed, sooo... we kinda volunteered you to _keepherawakeallnight_." Ruby rambled off the last bit a bit quicker than usual, hoping her sister wouldn't _really_ notice.

Yang was quiet for a moment, blinking once, twice, then a third time as Ruby's words slowly sunk in.

"...Yang?"

Yang suddenly shook her head, throwing her arms up in the air exasperatedly.

"The hell do you mean, you volunteered me to keep her up all night?!"

Ruby shrunk away from her older sister, grinning wryly.

"Ehhh...hehe... well, she kept asking for you, so... "

"That doesn't mea-" Yang was cut off as Blake tugged insistently on her shirt. Instantly softening when her lilac gaze slid to her slightly inebriated partner, she fell quiet as Blake made a messy ' _come here_ ' motion.

"Yeah, Blake?" Yang asked softly, turning to her partner and crouching down to look her in the eye.

Half-lidded golden eyes suddenly loomed closer as Blake leaned forward, inches away from Yang's suddenly surprised, wide eyes.

Slowly raising a finger to her lips, Blake murmured Yang's name quietly.

"Blake... ?"

"Yang... _Shhhh._ "

Yang leaned back on her haunches, thoroughly confused as Blake straightened up, hand falling to her lap as she swayed unsteadily from side to side.

"Blake, did you... did you just shush me?" Yang asked incredulously.

There was silence for a moment, before Ruby burst out into unrestrained laughter. Yang had the presence of mind to tear her gaze away from Blake long enough to take a half-hearted swat at her sister, who merely stepped back out of reach.

"You're so louuuud." Blake whined softly, reaching up to gently cup her delicate cat ears.

Yang's gaze was drawn back to Blake's soft, fuzzy triangular ears, and she had to bite her lip to keep from making any noise as she saw them pressed flat to her skull, almost buried in her soft raven tresses and giving Blake a shy, demure look.

Temporarily at a loss for words, Yang didn't know what to say as she studied her partner. The normally regal, reserved, aloof girl was currently sitting on the edge of her bed cupping her cat ears and giving Yang the most pitiful 'kicked-puppy' look that Yang didn't even think was possible.

"Uhh... "

Beside her, Ruby chanced a quick step back into Yang's reach, leaning down and giving her sister a quick peck on the cheek before darting away again.

"Well, looks like you've got everything under control, so I'm gonna go catch up with Weiss and review a few things for class tomorrow. See ya, sis! Give either of us a call if Blake gets out of hand, byeee!"

Throwing a jaunty wave over her shoulder, Ruby kicked into her shoes and dashed out the door, closing it firmly behind her.

Yang stared at the closed door for a second, mind racing quicker than it ever had before.

It didn't last long, however, as movement at her side caught her attention. Tearing her gaze away from the door, she let her dark lilac eyes fall upon her unsteady partner.

Blake had changed-or been changed, Yang realized, somewhat uncomfortably- at some point, and no longer wore the hunter outfit that she had been wearing during their battle. Now, she was clad in a pair of thin white sweat pants and a white short sleeved shirt, the standard issue infirmary clothing for patients who have stayed overnight.

An indescribable feeling shot through Yang's body at the thought of _anyone_ touching her partner, and she had to grit her teeth and clench her fists as a spike of inexplicable anger flooded her veins.

It didn't last long though, as the raven haired girl pulled her attention away. The Faunus girl reached out and grabbed a handful of Yang's shirt, pulling the girl closer. Yang hesitantly leaned toward the bed where her unsteady partner sat, still crouching down on her haunches so as to be at eye level with her partner.

"I missed you." Blake slurred, catching Yang off guard. The golden haired girl blinked in confusion at the sudden unexpected admission, before the heat from earlier returned in full force, darkening her cheeks and making the back of her neck feel entirely too hot.

"Y-you what?" Yang silently cursed herself for tripping over her words, but Blake didn't seem to notice.

"I missed you." Blake repeated, her fist tightening in the fabric of Yang's shirt.

"But we... we were barely apart." Yang couldn't quite understand what Blake was trying to say.

Blake's eyebrows furrowed over liquid gold eyes, her gaze focused on Yang.

"Every night for the last year, we've... " Blake paused, apparently gathering her thoughts as she stopped to take a deep breath. After a moment, she exhaled slowly. "We've slept in the same room, only a few feet separating us. Last night, I slept alone and away from you for the first time in a while. I thought you would visit, at least... "

Yang felt her heart breaking at the forlorn expression that fell over Blake's beautiful features, and a slash of guilt tore through her as her partner's head dipped slightly.

"Blake... " Yang's voice was soft, apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't... " Yang trailed off, unsure of what to say. Something in the back of her mind alerted her to the fact that her legs were cramping up from squatting for so long.

She ignored it in favor of tending to her partner.

Blake looked up, gently tugging on Yang's shirt in a feeble attempt to draw the blonde closer. Her glazed golden eyes found Yang's with little difficulty, even as she looked unsure of what to say.

There was a moment of silence between them, before Blake spoke up again.

"Ruby said I can't fall asleep tonight?"

Yang shook her head. "Not for a little while, at least." She replied.

Blake bit her lip gently, eyes falling down to her lap as her cat ears dipped.

"And she told you to watch me. Like you don't have better things to do." Blake spoke softly.

"Sorry... "

Yang shook her head vehemently, golden locks temporarily obscuring her vision.

"No, Blake, I don't mind. Seriously! I'm happy to look out for my partner."

Blake was quiet for a moment, until she raised her head to meet Yang's gaze.

"In... in that case, would you... ?"

Yang shot her partner a questioning glance, but it was lost on the Faunus as she leaned forward, dipping her head.

"... Would you pet me?"

Yang's sharp intake of breath was the only audible sound, and Blake's cat ears twitched in response.

"It makes me feel safe, especially... " Blake raised her head ever so slightly in an attempt to get a glimpse of Yang.

"Especially when someone I love and trust does it."

* * *

Author's note: Well, sorry for my absence! I've been away from writing for so long. Lately when I sat down to write, it seemed like all of my good ideas were suddenly terrible. Worst case of creative writer's block I''ve ever faced. However, I had two goals this weekend after getting off work: Get blackout drunk, and write fanfiction. With that in mind, I apologize for any mistakes or typos, and I'll fix them immediately tomorrow when I wake up. In the mean time, I appreciate any reviews, comments, criticism, anything at all! Have a good weekend, all!

Part two of ?


	41. Knockout Part Three

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty-One: Knockout, Part Three_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

With a slightly trembling hand, Yang reached out toward Blake's proffered ears. Her breath caught in her throat as Blake's soft, sleek ears twitched, brushing against her outstretched fingertips. Yang froze, her soft, pink tongue licking suddenly dry lips as Blake leaned forward, nudging her head toward Yang's hand.

A sharp bite to her bottom lip jerked her back to her senses, and she pulled her hand away, earning a soft, mildly frustrated whine from her partner.

"S-sorry... " Yang murmured, knowing her friend could hear her. She fought back the heat rising up the back of her neck, and looked away for a moment to gather her wits back about her.

 _'Blake always hated having her ears touched or her bow messed with. It's one of the parts of her that she guarded the closest. To mess with it now would be-!'_

Clearing her throat softly, she balled her hands into fists, feeling her nails digging into her palms and bringing some semblance of order back to her wayward thoughts.

"Blake, Blakey honey, why don't we just sit and try to read or something for a bit, until your thoughts get a bit more organized, hmm?"

Blake looked up at her, blinking rapidly as she tried to focus on Yang staring down at her.

"Uhh... " Was the inarticulate response.

Despite herself, and the situation, Yang felt the corners of her mouth lifting into a smile. Gently nudging Blake over, she slowly scooted onto the bed next to the Faunus. Taking a moment to shuffle around and get comfortable, she brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she glanced around for a book. Spotting one on the bedside table, she carefully picked it up. She kept an eye on the raven haired girl next to her for any sort of reaction - was the book smut?- Yang wondered.

With no discernible reaction from the girl despite golden eyes landing on the book, Yang breathed a silent sigh of relief before crossing her legs and turning the book over in her hands to examine the cover.

"The Millwright and M-"

 _'Fwump!'_

Yang froze as Blake slumped up against her shoulder, eliminating any idea of personal space between them as she nuzzled her cheek against Yang, scooting closer and closer until there was no hint of space separating their warm bodies.

Yang closed her eyes for a moment as she was enticed by the sweet scent of Blake's minty perfume, a unique smelling scent that she had never experienced before meeting her partner.

Once she was sure she had regained control of her senses, she opened her eyes and focused them intently on the book's worn cover.

"Th-the Millwright and Maintenance Engineer: Volume One"

Yang was silent for a moment as the title of the book sunk in, then her face took on a decidedly confused expression. Her eyebrows nearly climbed into her hairline at the unfamiliar reading content that was so distinctly _un-Blake_ , and it took one further moment for her to realize that this was the book that Ruby had checked out a few weeks prior when Weiss had offhandedly recommended it as additional reading material for weapons upkeep.

 _'So this is why she's been wandering around muttering about digital calipers... '_

Wait, wasn't this book overdue? Yang vaguely remembered something about Ruby looking for this book with the intent to return it. If that was the case, then-

Yang was pulled from her train of thought as Blake reached down to her feet. Grasping the edge of a blanket, she pulled it up over their bodies and pulled it up to her chin, snuggling down and wrapping her arms around Yang's left arm, resting her hands on Yang's forearm.

With her free arm, Yang reached out to the night stand beside Blake's bed, trading the thick engineer book for a slightly smaller book. Bringing this one onto her blanket covered lap, she rotated it until it was oriented right side up.

"The Nobleman's Daughter." Yang read aloud, slowly opening the cover to the first blank page.

After flipping past a few pages of author's notes, dedications, table of contents and legal disclaimers, she reached the first page of the first chapter.

Reaching up with her free hand, she brushed a lock of golden hair from her face before reaching over and gently caressing Blake's cheek, almost unconsciously before returning her hand to the book.

"Chapter One: Courtyard Dalliance."

Yang inhaled softly, before sighing. She was pretty sure she knew what 'dalliance' meant, and she wasn't sure she could sit here and read such things to Blake, despite her mildly incapacitated state.

"This better not be perverted... " Yang muttered softly under her breath.

Beside her, Blake chuckled softly at Yang's words, despite her eyelids growing heavy and beginning to droop.

Sensing the tiredness in her response, Yang gently glanced to her left, looking at her partner as best she could despite their intimate position.

"Blake, you-hey! Hey Blake, open your eyes, you can't sleep yet!"

Slowly Blake's eyelids lifted, her unfocused golden gaze slowly sharpening until she found herself staring at Yang.

"Aw, who am I kidding?" Yang muttered to herself. "Reading a book would knock both of us out! We need something else... "

Closing the book, and just a bit more relieved than she let on that she didn't have to read what was clearly a romance novel to her partner, she looked around for a moment as she decided what else she could do to keep her partner awake.

"I got it!" Yang reached into her bra where she had tucked her scroll earlier.

"We can watch a couple movies on my scroll! That ought to keep you up for a bit!"

Blake hummed softly, nodding gently against Yang's shoulder as the blonde slid down a bit to readjust her position. Setting the scroll up in her lap so they could both see the screen, she flicked through a list of movies.

Finding one that suited her tastes, and that she was sure would keep Blake conscious, she clicked 'play' and turned the volume up as loud as it would go.

* * *

It was barely ten minutes into the movie when Blake began nodding off again, but Yang caught it before she could fall asleep. Sighing softly, she reached forward and pressed the 'pause' button on her scroll's screen.

"Get up Blake, that position is clearly too comfortable. You're falling asleep!"

Blake whined ever so cutely, shaking her head and squeezing her eyes closed as she nuzzled into Yang's warm embrace.

"No. No! Bad Blake! Wake up!" Yang gently shook the Faunus girl, biting her lip as Blake merely pushed more closely against her.

"Blaaaaake!" Yang whined, shaking the girl a bit more roughly.

Suddenly the girl sat up, tousled hair wild around her face and her golden eyes slightly crossed and adorably narrowed as she attempted to fix Yang with a glare and a pout. Her ears twitched sporadically, and Yang felt like she had forgotten how to breathe as Blake childishly stuck her tongue out at her.

Yang couldn't help but stare, taking in every detail of her partner. The girl was beautiful, there was absolutely no question, and the way her golden eyes shone in the dim light of the room made Yang-

Violet eyes widened, darkening as she realized that she was suddenly _way too close to Blake._

A traitorous blush rose swiftly to her cheeks, heating up her skin and making her stammer over her words as she pulled away, looking down at her lap as she readjusted the blanket around her waist. She was suddenly way too hot, and unable to form coherent sentences, and damnit why was Blake so goddamn _hot-!_

Heart hammering in her chest, her mind spun but went nowhere, like a truck spinning it's wheels in soft, deep mud.

"I-I-I... "

Yang's mind was racing and she could barely contain her thoughts. When had Blake gotten so beautiful, when had her eyes gotten so alluring, and _why was Blake's hand on her thigh right now-!?_

Yang barely managed to stifle a choked sound, blinking quickly as she realized she wasn't dreaming.

Blake was leaning in now, her hand on Yang's inner thigh to support her weight as she leaned close to Yang, murmuring something that Yang didn't quite have the presence of mind to understand.

Not bothering to ask the girl what she had said, as Yang was sure she couldn't form a coherent sentence if she tried, she merely pushed back the blanket that covered her lap. Pushing herself into a more upright seating position, she couldn't help but shiver at the temporary loss of contact with her partner.

"Sit here." Yang managed to choke out, patting the space between her legs as she leaned up against the backboard of Blake's bed.

Blake, for her part, happily obliged. She pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, somewhat clumsily, before crawling over Yang's left leg and gently situating herself between Yang's legs. Instead of sitting with her back to Yang's chest, however, she sat sideways, facing Yang's right as she leaned against the blonde, her right ear pressed to Yang's chest.

Yang could feel her self control ebbing away, and no sooner was Blake sitting down than she reached out and wrapped her arms around her partner's waist. As she pulled Blake roughly closer to her chest, Blake couldn't suppress a surprised squeak at the sudden movement. Yang merely laughed as Blake covered her mouth in embarrassment, looking up at her with wide golden eyes.

"Sorry, I was a bit rough." Yang apologized softly, reaching up to caress Blake's head. Gently pulling the girl closer, she tucked Blake's head under her chin and pressed 'play' on her scroll before wrapping her arms around Blake's shoulders.

For her part, Blake watched the movie diligently, more resistant to nodding off now that she was sitting upright and wrapped in Yang's tight embrace.

Yang's mind, however, couldn't be further from the currently playing movie. Her eyes were closed, and her head was bowed, nose nestled in Blake's hair between her ears. She inhaled slowly, long, deep breaths as she chased Blake's irrisistable scent. It was intoxicating, and with each teasing trace that reached her nose, she demanded _more._

Yang inhaled deeply, the mint perfume overtones mixing perfectly with Blake's natural scent. At least, what bit her weak human nose could pick up.

Suddenly, Blake was giggling, her soft, adorable cat ears twitching against Yang's cheeks.

"Yang, Yang baby, that tickles." Blake giggled softly, voice slightly muffled as she pressed herself tighter to Yang.

Yang was silent for a moment, before offering up an apology they both knew was insincere.

"... Sorry."

There was silence between them for a moment before Yang lost herself in Blake once more. She gently nuzzled Blake's hair with her nose, before opening her mouth and gently nipping the tip of one of Blake's cat ears with the edge of her teeth. A soft moan escaped Blake's throat at the gentle pain that lanced through her sensitive ears, and her hand once more found Yang's inner thigh as she bit her lip. Closing her eyes, the movie was forgotten under Yang's gentle ministrations.

Yang's control over her actions seemed to be slipping as each second ticked by. Her hands left Blake's shoulders to slowly slide up and down her back, caressing her as Yang's breath began coming heavier in Blake's ears.

Blake arched her back as Yang's feather-light touch sent shivers racing up and down her spine, and she turned her head slightly as she reached up to caress Yang's cheek. Gently pulling Yang's head toward her own, Blake closed her eyes as she parted her lips ever so slightly, soft, panting moans escaping her lips as she edged ever closer to Yang.

Yang gently stroked Blake's cheek, her thumb tracing over Blake's lips as she leaned in closer until mere inches separated them. Yang could feel Blake's shallow, heated breaths on her cheek, and she bit her lip as she closed the scant few inches that seemed to stretch out between them.

* * *

Author's note: That's a good place to take a break. Shame Yang still hasn't gotten a chance to play a bit more with Blake's ears. Hopefully next time, they're just so damn adorable!


	42. Four Scars Part Four Pride Part Two

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty-Two: Four Scars Part Four, Pride Part Two_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

You cannot wipe the envious glare from your face as you stare at Weiss and Ruby. You brush your long dark locks from your face, mouth set in the cutest of scowls as you watch Ruby frolic through the snow, Weiss plodding along patiently beside her as she ducked and flinched away from the snow that Ruby would throw her way.

They were cute to watch, you think, as Weiss bats vainly at a handful of snow tossed her way, Ruby giggling uncontrollably as Weiss gently scolds her.

The source of your envy was not their close companionship, as it first appeared. No, you think, glancing at the beautiful blonde who walked beside you. The source of your envy was Ruby's enjoyment of the snow.

Her enjoyment of the cold.

You wrap your arms tighter around your body as you bow your head, burying your nose in your scarf as a cold wind cuts effortlessly through your sweater.

You never liked the cold, you think. It was hard on your body, hard on your muscles. They tended to stiffen up and ache painfully in the cold, your back seizing up and making it difficult to move.

When the gust of wind dies down, you raise your head to the sky to examine the dark grey clouds swirling overhead. Bright fat flakes of snow drifted down lethargically from the heavens, slowly adding to the foot or so of icy cold white stuff already covering the school grounds.

You had had a wonderful day out shopping and browsing the city of Vale with your team, but your aching, sore body was ready to be subjected to a scathingly hot shower. It would take half an hour or so until your muscles felt like they could move properly again, but on the upside, you'd have no trouble finding sleep tonight.

An arm slipping around your waist draws you from your thoughts, and you blink the snowflakes from your eyelashes as you turn to look at the bundled up blonde beside you.

As it always does, the cat eared hat atop her head makes you smile. Her blonde mane is barely contained by it, and as your eyes are drawn to her hair, you once again feel the near-irresistible urge to bury yourself in her hair.

Her lilac eyes shine brightly in the muted rays of sunlight that manage to pass through the dark cloud canopy, and you cannot look away from her mesmerizing stare.

She grins happily at you, before gently pulling you into her side. Happily, you snuggle against her, although the layers of fabric that separate the two of you prevent you from leaching her body heat.

"Ugh! Ruby!" Weiss' shrill voice cuts through the air, and no drop in temperature can rival the icy tone in her voice.

Your ears press somehow flatter against your head underneath your black toque, and you're glad that Weiss' voice isn't directed at you.

Talk about frigid...

Weiss turns on her heel, walking backward as her icy glare flicks from Ruby, to Yang, and back again, seeming to narrow slightly with every shift of her gaze. She reaches up and brushes snow from the back of her neck, her graceful throat and prominent collarbones exposed to the chilly air with her low cut grey t-shirt being her only choice of clothing against the sub-zero temperatures.

"Yang, control your sister! She's getting me all wet!"

You can feel the laughter bubbling up in Yang's chest, and as you lower your head to the ground, you catch Weiss' gaze shift to you for the briefest of moments.

Despite the cold, a gentle heat temporarily warms your cheeks and you carefully extract yourself from Yang and pull away from her as she becomes the new center of attention as she bursts into raucous laughter.

"Oh, good! I'm so glad you said it like that, Weiss!" The blonde giggles, reaching up with cutely mitted hands to adjust the hat atop her head.

"For a moment, I was afraid you weren't going to say anything embarrassing at all today."

Weiss opens her mouth to respond, until the meaning of her previous outburst registers in her mind.

Her eyes suddenly darken in time with her cheeks, and you fight a wry smile as Ruby looks back and forth between Weiss and her older sister with confusion written across her face.

"Yang, what did she say that was embarrassing?" Ruby asks, attempting to juggle aloft three misshapen snowballs.

Your eyebrows raise in mild surprise as Yang opens her mouth to speak, but Weiss is surprisingly quicker as she reaches out to snatch a snowball from Ruby's hand. Lobbing it at Yang results in a narrow miss, and a burst of laughter from Yang.

You put a few steps between yourself and Yang, just in case they start a fight in the middle of the school's courtyard. As entertaining as that would be, your muscles are screaming at you for warmth, and you were never one to prolong agony that wasn't necessary.

"Don't worry about it, Ruby, there's something else more pressing to worry about." Yang gently redirects the conversation, much to Weiss' relief.

Ruby's silver gaze slides from Weiss to her sister, an eyebrow raising curiously.

"Have you asked Weiss why she's out in the cold in such outlandish clothing?"

You watch the previous relief disappear from Weiss' face as quickly as it had appeared.

Ruby turns to Weiss, looking her up and down silently for a moment as they continue to trudge through the snow toward the main entrance to the school.

Weiss seems to grow more uncomfortable by the moment as Ruby appraises her, until finally she crosses her arms over her chest and turns her nose up, 'hmph!'ing in displeasure at the attention.

"Ruby, stop staring!" Weiss commands, reaching up to flick her hair back over her shoulder.

Ruby dutifully tears her gaze away from Weiss, looking briefly to her sister and shrugging before bending down to scoop up another handful of snow.

You, however, take another moment to examine the heiress. Yourself, Yang, and Ruby are all dressed moderately warmly, with either sweaters or windbreakers to fight off the cold, yet Weiss seemed to have foregone any sort of warm weather clothing.

Her upper body is clad in a thin grey short sleeved t-shirt, which is extremely low cut. The edges of her white bra are visible underneath her shirt, and a glittering silver chain adorns her neck.

Her lower body is covered by a pair of washed out blue jeans oddly reminiscent of Jaune's, albeit much cleaner, neater, and with zero rips or tears. Encircling her waist is a white belt, mostly for looks you assume, as her jeans are skin tight.

Almost immediately you realize that something about Weiss has been bugging you this whole time, and simultaneously you realize what it is.

You thought it was weird that she was wearing no protection against the elements, and in a way, it was weird, you suppose, but then you realize that what is truly bothering you, is that you have never seen Weiss dressed like such a _pedestrian_.

Even the dark brown, fur-lined boots she was wearing seemed to lack a certain... air of expense that usually accompanied Weiss and everything she wore.

You have no time to think further upon the strange issue, as Ruby darts forward to grab the door to the school.

Weiss enters with a frosty nod toward Ruby, who grins back happily, seemingly immune to Weiss' icy behavior.

You shuffle in behind Yang, and your eyes fall down to her hips almost of their own accord; it was something that happened quite frequently, and you gave up trying to prevent it.

The way her hips sway side to side, it was just so...

The door slams closed behind you as a gust of wind grabs it, and the sudden noise causes a squeaky 'eep!' to escape you before you come to your senses.

You realize you were reaching out toward her hips, and you quickly pull your hands back to your sides before anyone notices.

A dark blush rises to your cheeks as you realize what you were about to do, full on grope Yang, and in front of her sister, no less!

You shake your head as you rub your arms through your sweater in a poor attempt to warm up.

Your body is on autopilot as you begin walking toward the dorms, following Yang, and you almost run into her as she comes to a stop in front of you.

You stop mere inches from her back, and she seems to know this. She shuffles backward ever so slightly, until there's almost no room separating the two of you.

Suddenly her hand is grabbing yours, and she gives it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Before you can react, she's let go of your hand, and has started walking, jogging a bit to catch up with Weiss and Ruby.

You're frozen for only a moment, before a small smile spreads across your face. Kicking yourself into motion, you chase after her.

* * *

When you enter the room, Ruby is already stripping off her clothes in the middle of the room and your ears flatten against your skull as Weiss' high pitched voice cuts through the air, scolding Ruby for being indecent and imploring her to use the bathroom instead.

You smirk as Ruby, bent over at the waist, temporarily pauses in removing her pants. She looks over her shoulder at Weiss, swaying side to side as she balances on one foot.

"What d'you mean... ?"

Weiss throws her hands up in exasperation, turning away to hide the rampant blush roaring across her cheeks.

"You clueless dolt!" Is the last thing you register before Yang chuckles. She grabs your arm and pulls you toward the bathroom, waving at her sister over your head.

"Too late Weiss, I've gotta take a shower." Yang calls out cheerily. "Just keep your back turned and try not to ogle m-"

You slap your hand over Yang's mouth before she can finish that sentence, your ears laying flat in fear of what Weiss would screech in return. You bodily push Yang into the bathroom and close the door, not daring to look over your shoulder at the assuredly angry ice queen.

Once in the bathroom, you freeze. Your fuzzy ears nearly bury themselves in your hair at the thought of what Ruby and Weiss must be thinking. This was so inappropriate, it was...

You look, but don't see as Yang begins stripping, and her soft humming reaches your ears as she casually peels off her clothes.

Group showers were one thing, your mind races, but together, alone, in the room showers-!

Yang seems to be able to read your mind, though. As always, you're at the forefront of her thoughts as she carefully picks up her discarded clothing and neatly folds it away before approaching you.

"I'm not letting my partner freeze herself so stiff she can't move." Her voice is low and soft in your ears, but none the less, full of strength and conviction.

You jerk slightly as she touches your waist, but as you're pulled from your thoughts, you realize what she said, and what she's doing.

The nervous tension doesn't last long as she tenderly, gently strips you of your clothing. Her dark violet eyes seem to be locked onto yours, and you cannot find it within yourself to tear your gaze away from her as she carefully lifts your shirt over your head.

She moves slowly and deliberately, and you're thankful for that as the chill in your muscles sedates your movements.

When your shirt is free of your hair, she carefully folds it up before setting it aside on the bathroom sink. She's still humming softly, and your ears twitch as you begin to pick up the tune. It's familiar, like an old blanket that you'd never outgrown, and as her soft hum rises in pitch, recognition brightens your features ever so slightly as a smile lifts the corners of your mouth.

 _'You truly are my sunshine, Yang.'_

That thought is at the front of your mind as she reaches up to tenderly smooth your messy hair, running her fingers lovingly through your raven locks to smooth the wild strands.

You close your eyes and take a half-step toward her as her fingers gently graze against your scalp, and you bite your bottom lip softly as you tilt your head slightly to the side.

Her soft humming is broken as she chuckles softly, but you pay no attention to her gentle laughter as you step ever closer to her.

Her fingers trail down your hair to your naked back, and in a single pass, her deft fingers have unclasped your bra.

You suppose you ought to be surprised at how quickly she was able to do that, but nothing about Yang surprises you anymore. She's so good at so many things, you think, that her skill at getting you out of your clothes is just one more thing that ought to be expected.

You tilt your head forward and press your forehead against her naked chest as you inhale deeply, re-familiarizing yourself with her enticing scent.

The only thing about Yang that continues to surprise you now is how deeply she seems to care about you, and how she continues to find ways to express it.

Your bra falls away from your chest, and lands silently upon the floor. Yang presses her chest against yours in a desperate bid to increase body contact, and you don't shy away from her loving touch.

Now, her fingers tickle your waist as she teases your hips. Already you can feel yourself warming up from her soft touches and close proximity, but there's still a chill deep inside that you can't seem to shake.

Unconsciously, you press yourself tighter against her.

She chuckles softly in your ear, and they twitch in response, brushing against her cheek.

"You're so adorable." She mumbles quietly in your ear, her warm breath causing them to twitch uncontrollably.

You bury your face in her chest and wrap your arms around her naked waist, a hot blush creeping into your cheeks.

"Shut up." You mumble softly, as her arms encircle your waist in return.

There's a moment of silence between the two of you, before her grip unexpectedly tightens on you. She inhales deeply, before sighing deeply a moment later.

"Blake, I love you so damn much, you'll never know just how much you mean to me."

Her voice carries a slight tremble, but so faint that you're not sure if you were imagining it.

Your ears burn at her declaration, but her grip, unlike her voice, never wavers.

She holds you quietly for a few minutes, and you're more than content to keep your face buried against her chest and inhale her intoxicating scent.

Soon, though, her hands are wandering, breaking you out of your peaceful trance. Her hands are once more fumbling at your waistband, and a moment later she is carefully sliding your pants down your legs.

You reluctantly release your grip on her as she kneels down, sliding your pants off as you carefully step out of them.

A heated blush rapidly darkens your cheeks as she pauses, tilting her head up to look at you with adoration clear in her violet eyes. She smiles happily up at you, and your heart seems to skip a beat or two as her beauty outpaces your ability to catch your breath.

Once she's set aside your pants, her warm hands slowly slide up your legs, rubbing them gently and restoring the faintest shred of warmth to your skin.

You cannot keep yourself from shivering as a chill passes through your body, and whether its from the cold, or from the way Yang ever so lovingly and gently caresses your skin, you aren't entirely sure.

The contrast between your cold body and seemingly hot face is unsettling, and you cannot fight the blush that darkens your cheeks as Yang carefully hooks her fingers in the waistband of your underwear.

She pauses, looking up to you for permission.

You both know you would never deny her, and you nod slowly, your golden eyes unable to leave hers as you feel her begin to slowly tug down your panties.

The staring contest is broken as she lowers her head, carefully guiding your panties down over your hips to the floor. As you lift your leg to step out of them, you reach out and gently place your hand on top of Yang's head to steady yourself.

The sudden motion pushes her head down a bit, and her nose brushes against your navel.

A low moan reaches your ears, and surprise widens your golden gaze as you realize the sound is emanating from Yang's throat. You open your mouth to say something, anything, but no sound comes out, and you bite your lip instead.

Yang dips lower, pressing her lips against your skin quite low on your navel, and although your cheeks are warm, you don't feel any embarrassment.

You can't, when she looks at you with unending devotion in her eyes.

Your skin is strangely hot when her lips leave you, and she stands, your lacy purple underwear entwined in her fingers.

Her lips are curved into a saucy smirk, and your eyes widen in alarm because you know that look too well. You've seen it before and trouble is never far behind. Your heart hammers in your chest and your pulse quickens, but quicker than you can even think of reacting, she raises your underwear to her nose, inhaling deeply as if you'd disappear if she were to forget what you smelled like, and she was trying to commit your scent to memory.

Your ears instantly lay flat against your head and you cannot tear your gaze away from her, disbelief streaking through your veins alongside embarrassment as she slowly licks her lips, a soft, throaty chuckle reaching your ears as she bites her bottom lip in anticipation.

"Y-Yang!" Your strangled voice is foreign to your own ears, and you reach out to grab your undergarments back from her, but she's anticipated your move and instead her fingers close around your wrist.

You struggle for a moment against her grip as she pulls you tightly to her body, but you don't struggle very much, as she whispers softly in your ear and holds you ever so gently against her body as your embarrassment slowly fades away in the comforting warmth of her touch.

"You're a damn perv." You mutter, face burning at the mere thought of her enjoying the scent of you.

"I'd be lying if I said I was sorry."

Her breath ghosts across your shoulder and down the back of your neck, and a shiver runs down your spine as you press yourself tighter to her. You nuzzle into her neck, finding comfort in the fact that the heat spreading across your face has nothing on the heat radiating from her.

"You're unbelievable." You try to sound more upset than you actually are, but she's incredibly comfortable.

She reaches up and lovingly cradles the back of your head, holding you close and humming softly once again as she slowly runs her fingers through your hair. The feeling of her fingers running through your hair and grazing gently against your skull nearly lulls you into a stupor, even as you try to pretend to be upset at her.

"Maybe we should take that shower now." Her voice is low, but you don't miss the undertone of fervent desire that roughens her words.

Your arms tighten possessively around her waist as you nod, your forehead brushing against her throat as you try your best to slow your racing heart.

* * *

"Why do you think the shower hasn't started yet?" Ruby reaches up to brush a strand of red hair from her eyes, before pulling off her headphones and draping them around her neck as she turns to face Weiss.

Weiss looks up from her book, glancing at the closed bathroom door before focusing a stern glare at her team leader.

"It's none of your business, and I suggest you put your headphones back on." Weiss' voice is just as stern as her stare, but for once her voice lacks the biting undertone she usually reserves for her younger partner.

Ruby groans loudly, rolling her silver eyes and lolling her head back and forth in an exaggerated manner as she kicks her legs back and forth underneath her desk.

"But I don't wannaaaaaa." She whines, kicking her chair back and standing up. Discarding her headphones on her desk, she prances over to the small kitchen tucked away in the corner of her dorm.

Weiss follows the younger girl with furrowed icy blue eyes, knowing that her immature team leader was going straight for-

"Weiss, have you seen my bag of trail mix?"

Pale blue orbs blink once, twice in confusion before the heiress finds her voice.

"Er, trail mix, Ruby?"

A splash of red catches her eye, and she sets her book down, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed and pushing herself up into a standing position.

"Yeah, I bought a bag yesterday, and I can't find it." Ruby replies, turning away from Weiss and rummaging through the cupboards.

Weiss approaches the red-haired girl, raising a slender eyebrow in confusion.

"Isn't it cookie snack time for you?"

Ruby pauses for a moment, before shrugging.

Weiss crosses her arms over her chest, jutting out her hip as she flicks her ponytail over her shoulder.

"Ruby." Her voice is a bit softer, yet no less commanding.

For being the team leader, Ruby knows when to follow an order.

"Yeah, Weiss?"

"What nonsense are you trying to pull now?" Weiss stares at the back of her partner, studying the girl as she slowly closes the cupboard doors before turning around.

When the red-head is facing her partner, Weiss is greeted with another half-hearted shrug and a downturned gaze.

An exasperated sigh escapes Weiss' lips as she unfolds her arms. She quickly strides across the distance separating the two, before reaching out and gently grabbing Ruby's chin. Forcing the girl to look at her, Weiss narrows her eyes.

"If you're expecting me to coddle you until you tell me what's wrong, you're going to be sorely disappointed." Weiss warns. "Now, out with it. What's wrong?"

Ruby swallows, nervousness dancing in her brilliant, bright silver eyes.

"W-well, a few days ago, you... "

Weiss relaxes her grip on Ruby's chin, although only slightly.

"I what?"

"You said I'd get fat if I kept eating so many cookies."

There's a moment of silence as blue confronts silver, until Weiss releases her grip on Ruby.

"S-so, I decided that I should cut down on cookies, y'know, so I... " Ruby trails off lamely, lowering her head until she is staring at the ground.

A softer sigh this time, as Weiss reaches up to rub embarrassedly at her forehead.

"Ruby, I didn't mean... that... I... "

An uncomfortable silence falls between the two, each alone with their thoughts.

For the first time in a while, Weiss is at a loss of words when it comes to dealing with Ruby.

A slash of guilt rips through her at the thought of making Ruby feel bad about enjoying her usual snack, and it only worsens when she remembers the feel of Ruby's lips pressed to the top of her head weeks ago in the library.

After a moment, Weiss straightens, seemingly having made up her mind.

"Come on, let's go." Weiss reaches out and takes Ruby's hand, tugging her gently toward the door.

"Whoa, Weiss-" Ruby stumbles, then catches her balance at the unexpected movement. Raising her head, she studies her ponytailed partner curiously.

"Where, exactly, are we going?"

Weiss releases Ruby's hand long enough to carefully pull on her boots.

"I know of a fantastic little place in Vale that makes the most amazing baked goods, and I'll be damned if you're going to sit there and make puppy dog eyes at me over something I said that you took out of context."

Ruby is perplexed for a moment, before she snaps into motion, kicking into her familiar old footwear.

"That was probably the most roundabout apology I've ever heard, Weiss." Ruby is grinning now, adjusting her trademark red cape.

Weiss scoffs, palming her rapier at her side out of habit.

"That's because I wasn't apologizing." She chides quietly. "A Schnee doesn't apologize, much less for something they didn't do. Your misunderstanding is not an indication of my wrong-doing."

Ruby isn't quite sure what exactly Weiss means by that, but she doesn't argue as she follows the regal girl out the door.

"As your partner, I'll make sure you have whatever kind of snack you want, even if I have to feed it to you myself."

The words are out of Weiss' mouth before she can stop herself, and she immediately curses her poor choice of wording as Ruby snickers quietly at her side.

"Thanks, Weiss." The tone is playful, but the words are genuine, and Weiss doesn't pull away when Ruby leans in and latches onto her arm.

* * *

Author's note: I hope you've enjoyed. More to come, hopefully soon, but no promises.

Also, the titling of this chapter is weird as hell, because although technically a continuation of the 'Four Scars' storyline, I also included a slight continuation of 'Pride' in here.

Ah hell, screw the titles. What matters is the fluffy content. Drop me a review and let me know what you think!


	43. One Fleeting Moment

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty-Three: One Fleeting Moment_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

A soft chuckle rouses you from your dozing, and your head jerks up as your eyes open slightly. Reflexively, your hands tighten their lax grip on your book, and your golden gaze slides around the dorm room as you update yourself on your surroundings.

You're sitting on your bed, leaning against the wall with a book in your lap. Your knees are bent up slightly to prop the book up to a comfortable viewing angle, and the lights in the dorm room are off.

You remember hearing soft laughter, and your gaze zeroes in on the source of the sound.

Her.

Your partner.

You examine her, and see she hasn't noticed you observing her.

Shes laid out on her back on Weiss' bed across from you, holding her scroll up in the air above her head. She seems to be studying something intently on the bright screen, and you take this moment of distraction to _really_ look at her.

She's amazing in every way imaginable.

She's clad in a pair of tight blue jeans that do nothing to hide the powerful curve of her toned quads and larger than necessary calves. From across the room, you can see that the button to her jeans is undone, and the zipper down, revealing a dark red band of underwear beneath, courtest of her sleeveless muscle shirt riding up on her stomach.

Her tight abs ripple and flex with every soft breath she takes, every adjustment she makes to her position, her powerful core assisting her with every shift of her body. Her muscle shirt is one she wears frequently when not in uniform, and it's solid black with yellow writing scrawled at an angle across the chest.

You smirk as you recall the writing, despite the fact that her large chest has currently distorted your view of it at the moment.

 _Suns Out, Guns Out._

Your gaze slides easily to her arms, and you watch as her defined triceps flex easily as she tap-taps away on her scroll. Her muscles were a bit larger than yours, - okay, a lot larger, you didn't really want to admit- but the thing that always struck you the most was how defined they were. Yang was the poster-child for low bodyfat percentage, except in a few select spots, and her powerful muscles rippled just below the surface of her skin in a way that made your stomach do weird little flip-flops.

You find yourself licking your lips as your eyes slide to her forearms, sharp gaze picking out the veins that criss-crossed her arms.

Her curved shoulders lead into powerful yet slender trapezius muscles, the result of her heavy reliance on upper body strength and power. Her graceful neck was bared to you as she had pulled her beautiful mane of hair over her other shoulder, and you got a good glimpse of her profile as she stared up at her scroll, unaware of your intense gaze.

You squeeze your legs together in an effort to quash an unfamiliar heat rising in the pits of your stomach, and you lower your gaze to your book so as to avoid being caught staring as you open your mouth.

"What's so funny?" You ask, breaking the silence that seemed to blanket the room.

From the corner of your eye, you see your partner tilt her head to the side, glancing over at you. You raise your head slowly, meeting her gaze.

"Oh, Blakey, you're awake."

You fight the feeling of embarrassment rising along the back of your neck, and with practiced ease you keep your face devoid of any emotional response.

"You caught me dozing, eh?"

Yang smiles warmly at you.

"I hope I didn't wake you. You looked so peaceful."

You shake your head in the negative, a subtle bow twitch betraying your small white lie.

"No, you didn't."

Yang doesn't notice the slight deception, and she grins happily.

"Ruby is sending me pictures of her date with Weiss." Yang tilts the scroll toward you in an indication of what she is talking about.

"Wanna see?"

Mildly curious, you hesitate for only a moment before nodding slowly.

"Sure."

Yang grins before twisting her legs over and kicking off the edge of the bed. Her shirt falls down and covers up her stomach as she stands, much to your disappointment.

Yang quickly closes the distance between the two of you, and plops herself down on the bed beside you, leaning up against the wall with only inches to spare between yourself and her.

Your stomach twists somewhat uncomfortably as you realize just how close she is, her scent reaching your sensitive nose and sending shivers racing down your back.

Yang wiggles around a bit, getting comfortable, before leaning in toward you and extending her scroll out so you could both see the screen. Slowly, you reach up and brush a loose strand of hair from your face, tucking it behind your ear as you focus your gaze on the screen.

The first picture is of Weiss, who is clearly unaware that the picture had been taken. It shows the heiress standing in front of a food vendor truck on the street, and Ruby, who had taken the picture, is a few steps behind the white-haired girl. A hastily scrawled annotation in Ruby's handwriting is splashed across the bottom of the picture, _'Weiss is so pretty!'_

You chuckle quietly, biting your lip as you examine the picture.

"Your sister really likes her, huh?"

Yang nods, flicking to the next one.

This one shows Weiss and Ruby side by side, Ruby's arm extending out of frame as she takes the picture. Ruby's face is one of pure happiness, her other arm around Weiss' shoulders, while Weiss is staring at the ground, head tilting away from Ruby to disguise the dark blush that was creeping across her cheeks.

You smile softly.

"And you're okay with it?"

Yang shrugs.

"Ruby could do a lot worse than the Ice Princess." Yang allows. "From a purely logical standpoint, I'm glad that Ruby found someone with so much money."

Your eyebrows nearly disappear into your hairline at that, and a disbelieving scoff passes your lips.

Yang catches the sound, and glances sideways at her you.

"No, really. Taking the emotional aspect out of it, I'm glad Ruby found someone who can take care of her financially. It sounds like a rude thing to say, but deep down, everyone wants the best for their little brother or sister. I'm glad Ruby won't struggle financially, that's all."

You nod slowly. "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense."

"And realistically, " Yang continues, "Weiss is a great critical thinker. There's no way she would have agreed to any of this unless she had thought out every possible angle and repercussion. Sure, there's bound to be trouble, but I doubt Weiss would agree to go out with Ruby if she didn't absolutely believe she was up to the challenge of supporting and taking care of Ruby. Not only is she not that kind of person, but it would reflect horribly on her family name, and that just won't do for our resident royal."

Your gaze slides back to the book in your lap, thinking Yang's words over.

"I guess you have a point."

Silence stretches out between the two of you for a few moments, as you lose yourself in your thoughts.

You stare unseeingly at the book in your lap as your heart aches dully, jealousy flaring up inside at the thought of Ruby and Weiss so happy together.

It was hard to deny, just how lonely you've become over the last few years. First, the emotional withdrawal from your partner, followed shortly by your abandonment of the White Fang, it didn't leave much time for forging meaningful relationships.

 _'Meaningful relationships... '_

Your heart hammers loudly in your chest as you sneak a glance at Yang, and she doesn't seem to notice as she stares at her scroll.

Yang is the closest thing you have to a best friend, you realize, but she's also the closest thing you've had to a caring partner in... well... since forever.

Your train of thought is interrupted as Yang slumps sideways, resting her head on your shoulder and sighing quietly.

Small tremors ripple through you as her touch electrifies you. You can barely contain your excitement, and you bite your bottom lip with one of your sharp fangs to stop yourself from making a sound.

"I'm so jealous of my sister." Yang moans softly, nuzzling against your shoulder. The motion sets alight a spark of desire that you think you'll have trouble controlling if she carries on that way.

A smile tugs at your lips, and your eyebrow curves up ever so curiously.

"Oh, really?" You ask, a playful tease in your tone. "I didn't know you had a thing for Weiss."

Yang tilts her head up to glare at you, sticking her tongue out at you. For the briefest of seconds, you consider leaning down and capturing it with your lips, but you let that bright idea fade out before it can start a wild fire.

You settle for licking your lips instead.

"Oh yeah, that tiny, tight little heiress body just gets me all worked up." Yang said sarcastically, gently pushing herself closer to you and zeroing out the scant inches that had separated your bodies.

You hum softly.

"Ruby will be most disappointed to hear that, and Weiss... " You smirk. "Weiss will be infuriated to hear that you're thinking of her like that."

Yang sighs, turning her head to gently bite your shoulder.

"You know what I mean." She grumbles, before laying her head back down on your shoulder.

You're silent as the gently stinging pain alerts you to the fact that she had bitten you, and as you glance down at the busty blonde, you're tempted to bite her back. Your gaze lingers on her loose fitting muscle shirt, particularly the way it reveals more of her chest than you're sure she intended- _Oh, who am I kidding, Yang knows exactly how much she's revealing._

You push the idea away reluctantly.

"It's gotta be really nice having someone to share cute looks with, to hold hands with, to go to bed with and wake up in the morning with... "

Yang's voice is a bit lower, and your ears twitch as you listen to her breathing.

"Why don't you have that?" You ask, curiosity getting the better of you as you ask a question you're not sure you want the answer to.

"I'm sure you could have whoever you wanted, a smart, beautiful fighter like you."

Something about curiosity being bad for your health flits through your mind, but it's no sooner here than gone as Yang pulls her knees to her chest, pressing herself tighter to you as she sighs.

"Unfortunately the girl I love has been stolen from under my nose by my very own sister." Yang mourned playfully, earning a scoff and an eyeroll from her partner.

"Looks like you'll have to settle for your second choice, then." You say dryly, glancing down once more at Yang's chest as she rests against your side.

Yang shrugs softly.

"I would, but it appears my second love choice has no interest in me. She'd rather chase a blonde noodle than give me the time of day." Yang feigned reaching up to wipe away a tear.

"I'm noticing a distinct pattern in your choice of love interest that is quite alarming."

She glances up at you once more, and liquid gold slips away from Yang's chest before you're caught.

Although, the devious smile that spreads across her face makes you wonder...

"The pattern that all my love interests are beautiful girls who are far out of my reach?" Yang reaches up to press the back of her hand to her forehead, adopting a 'woe-is-me' attitude.

You 'tsk' softly.

"The pattern is that they're all taken. Do you only want what you cannot have?"

Yang smirks at that, a saucy look that has you entranced. Still, you have the presence of mind to school your features into a carefully blank mask of disinterest. As you hold her gaze, you study the graceful curve of her exposed throat from the corner of your eye.

"I guess I'm destined to chase those just out of my reach." Yang sighs softly, before speaking again.

"Although, I wouldn't be opposed to the right person taking charge and sweeping me off my feet."

You wonder if it's just your imagination, but her voice seems different. Forced, somewhat strange, like she's carefully enunciating each word as if you wouldn't understand otherwise.

She's staring at you now, and you put her words out of your mind in favor of returning her stare.

The two of you are silent for a moment, and you find yourself getting lost in those deep violet eyes. A feeling that you can't put a name to races through you, making you heated, but it's ephemeral in it's duration, and leaves you confused and wanting.

Her lips look so soft and inviting, it would be so, so simple to lean forward and kiss her, to lay it all in the open and show her how you really feel in lieu of struggling to put your jumbled thoughts into coherent words.

Suddenly she's laughing softly, pulling away from you and sliding off the bed.

You blink slowly as you realize she's moved, and you shake your head to clear your mind as you follow her movements.

You have the presence of mind at least to recognize that her laughter is fake, forced and cheap like a knockoff weapons part that just won't integrate with the rest of your armament.

You're puzzled as you try to figure out why, and as you look up to her with the intention of asking, she's already shrugging off your question.

"I'm sure I could have anyone I wanted, but the only one I want is the one who wants me."

With a wave over her shoulder, she makes for the doorway, leaving you alone to pore over her strange behaviour and cryptic words.

With the sound of the shutting door ringing too loudly in your ears, you slowly open up your book to the page you were on when you fell asleep.

Your eyes see the words, but your jumbled mind can't make sense of them. You keep at it for a while longer, before eventually giving up.

You close the book and set it aside, stretching out on your bed and rolling onto your stomach. Closing your eyes, you bury your face in your arms and pray for sleep to find you.

It never does though, and it's hours later when you finally realize what Yang was talking about.

For someone so observant, it was astounding how clueless you could be.

* * *

Author's note: I'll be putting a great deal of my writing on hold due to an immense workload, coupled with the fact that my writing quality and ability to focus takes a sharp nosedive when I force myself to write when I'm otherwise preoccupied with work. I've read a ton of great stories on here lately, and it's inspired me to put out only the best quality writing I feel I can produce, and I haven't been doing that lately. I'm going to be taking some time to relax and unwind and focus on producing quality content, and finishing up or temporarily deleting some of the haphazard, unfinished projects I have kicking around.

Thank you all for your patience and your time, and I hope I can continue to put out quality work deserving of your time and constructive criticism.

With that being said, I'm not all that good at writing 'missed opportunities' kind of fics, and the feelings that I wanted to convey, as I attempted here, and there may be a possible rewrite in the future for this. Thank you all again for your time.


	44. Night Lights

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty-Four: Night Lights_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

Contains a Volume Four: Episode One minor spoiler in reference to the name of a creature of Grimm.

* * *

Night was falling outside team RWBY's dorm, and the four girls inside were preparing to go to bed. As per routine, Weiss was in the bathroom first, having long ago declared that dying of old age before Yang finished in the bathroom was not high on her list, nor was showering after Ruby, when the bathroom more often than not looked like a hurricane had torn through it.

Ruby had taken to showering in the mornings on days she didn't have after-class training, and was currently nestling herself deep underneath her blankets, clad in a pair of pink sweat pants and a black loose-fitting muscle shirt.

Blake was sitting on her bed, leaning against the wall with a well worn book in her lap. She wasn't reading it however, as she studied her blonde partner.

For the last few weeks, Yang had taken up a peculiar bed-time habit, one that struck the raven-haired reclusive Faunus as particularly confusing.

Right now, the blonde was leaning down near Blake's headboard, plugging the charger to her scroll into the wall. As she straightened up, she glanced at Blake, then smiled.

"Night Blake." The blonde said quietly, before plugging the other end of the charging cord into her scroll. Instantly, the screen lit up brightly, and Blake narrowed her eyes, saying nothing.

Yang reached up and set her scroll onto her bed above Blake, screen up so that the glow illuminated the ceiling above the bed.

"G'night Rubes." Yang called, crossing the room to the door and slapping a hand at the light switch mounted on the wall.

"Night Yang, Blake, see you guys in the morning." Ruby replied as the room was plunged into semi-darkness, her bed creaking slightly as she turned over onto her side, facing the wall.

Blake hummed her response softly, her night-vision more than sufficient to see in the darkened room. She glanced up at the bunk above her head. With the scattered light Yang's scroll was throwing off, it was almost too bright...

Sighing in resignation, Blake closed her book and leaned forward on her bed. Steadying herself with one arm, she leaned down and tucked the book under her bed, sliding it under a few inches to be sure she wouldn't step on it in the morning. As she straightened up, Yang shuffled back over to their shared bunk.

In the near darkness, Yang was probably sure that she had complete privacy, and Blake turned her head away as Yang began undressing beside her bed.

Not that Blake had made a habit of staring, but as the season moved into summer and the days and nights grew warmer, Yang had foregone her usual fully clothed sleepwear and instead began stripping off down to her underwear and pulling on a pair of light, breathable black sweatpants.

Against her will, Blake glanced up at the girl before quickly tearing her gaze away again, focusing on the striped pattern of her bedspread.

A black lace bra barely supported Yang's chest tonight, and her lacy, skimpy thong was visible as Yang adjusted the band of her sweatpants low around her hips, reaching down to pull off her socks and toss them in the general direction of the laundry basket against the wall on the other side of the room.

Finally deeming herself ready, Yang effortlessly pulled herself up onto the bed above Blake, Blake feeling the bed rock slightly and feeling a pang of sympathy shoot through her as the books supporting Yang's bed creaked in protest.

When Blake was sure that everyone was situated happily in bed, she silently reached up and undid her bow. Gently undoing the ribbon, she lovingly wrapped it up carefully before tucking it into one of the slats supporting Yang's mattress above her head. With her ears open to the air, she took a moment to run them through her full range of motion, twitching and whirling as she took in the now unmuffled sounds of the dorm.

She could hear Yang moving around above her, getting comfortable in her bed. She could hear Ruby's quiet even breathing from across the room, the girl most likely already asleep.

Her ears twitched, and she focused on the sound of the shower running in the bathroom, Weiss no doubt spending some quality time on her long, silver hair.

Blake reached up, closing her eyes as she gently rubbed the soft folds of her Faunus ears. Her bow was crafted of some of the softest material she could find, but that still didn't make it any less wonderful to take off at the end of a long day.

Much like finally taking off her bra at the end of the day, freeing her ears was similarly wonderful.

Speaking of...

Blake released her soft grip on her ears in exchange for reaching down to grab the hem of her shirt. Pulling it up over her head, she tossed it onto the floor beside her bed as she shook her head, shaking out her long raven tresses.

With practiced ease, her hands found the clasp to her bra behind her back, and in a split second she had it undone and sliding off her arms.

It joined her shirt on the floor before she quietly maneuvered her way under the blankets, sighing happily as she sunk into her bed. Now safely under the protective layer of her blanket, her fingers found their way into the waistband of her yoga pants, thumbs hooking into her panties and pulling both pieces of clothing down to her ankles in one swift movement.

Kicking off the clothing, she skillfully hooked her left toe into her right sock, peeling it off before repeating the process with her right foot. With a few more kicks, she pushed the bundle of clothing off the foot of her bed and onto the floor.

After years of sleeping fully clothed and with weapon in hand, Blake relished every opportunity she could find to sleep completely naked.

In the relative safety of Beacon, that was nearly every night.

Sighing contentedly, Blake closed her eyes and tilted her head back as she stretched out, raising her hands up to run her fingers through her hair, nails scratching pleasurably at her scalp as she did so.

Nothing could beat the comfortable feeling of stretching out in a comfortable bed.

Blake laid like that for a few minutes, enjoying the way her body slowly relaxed, letting the stress of the day bleed out of her tense muscles. Folding her hands behind her head, Blake slowly opened her eyes to stare at the bunk above her.

As had become the usual, the ambient lighting of their dorm was brightened by the glow cast by Yang's scroll.

Blake sighed. She really preferred absolute darkness when trying to sleep, especially considering she had little trouble seeing in such an environment.

Yang, however, seemed to prefer the accompaniment of a night light.

The first few times it had happened, Blake had assumed that Yang was awake long into the night, browsing the net on her scroll, or watching a movie with headphones in or something, but when she had consistently awoken to Yang's scroll beside the blonde girl's head, screen still shining as brightly as it could in the early morning light, it became obvious that the girl was using it as a source of illumination and nothing more.

And if Blake was going to be honest, it was a little irritating.

The light itself was only mildly irritating, and if needed, Blake could ignore it easily enough.

The fact that her strong, confident team mate suddenly needed a night light, however, was much more irritating.

And Blake wasn't going to let it slide tonight. She was exhausted, and in tire need of a good night's sleep.

Rolling over onto her side, she stretched out and grabbed her own scroll from the night stand beside her bed. Bringing it up to her face, she pressed her thumb gently against the fingerprint scanner, the screen illuminating at once and unlocking.

Scrolling through her contacts, she found Yang's name, and clicked on it. Bringing up a virtual keyboard, she swiftly tapped out a message, before pressing 'send' and laying her scroll face down on the bed beside her.

A few seconds later, Blake felt and heard the vibrations of the scroll on the bed above her.

A muffled shifting, then the ambient lighting brightened as Yang picked up her scroll.

Blake stared at the bottom of the bunk above her, eyes tracing the now very familiar pressed wood pattern that she had grown to know like the back of her hand over the last year or so.

After a moment, her scroll buzzed insistently beside her, and she reached down to grab it, eyes narrowing as she brought the offensively bright object up to her face.

 _'Does it bother you? I can dim it or shut it off, if you want.'_

Blake read Yang's message over and over, lips moving silently as she contemplated her response.

Taking a moment to think, she phrased her answer carefully.

 _'It doesn't_ really _bother me, I guess I'm just more curious as to why it's been on every night the last two weeks more than anything.'_

The reply was quicker this time, Yang seemingly having anticipated her response.

 _'You know what curiosity does to kittens like you, Blakey.'_

Blake rolled her eyes, fingers flying across her scroll.

 _'Oh, an insensitive jab at my Faunus heritage in response to your team mate showing genuine concern for you. Cute. You proud of yourself?'_

Not a second after she had sent it, Blake felt the beginnings of regret creeping to the back of her mind. There were more tactful responses she could have used, but of course she had jumped the gun and gotten defensive over one of Yang's harmless jokes.

It didn't take long her for scroll to light up with a response though, and in typical Yang fashion, the girl had completely ignored the context of Blake's reply.

 _'In general, yes, I'm very proud of myself.'_

Blake bit her lip, wondering how to respond. Slowly, she began typing out a thoughtful reply, but soon found herself tapping the 'delete' button and erasing her reply letter by letter as another response from Yang popped up on her screen.

 _'Just between you and me, I've found it a bit difficult to sleep in total darkness ever since we went on that overnight mission and were attacked in the middle of the night by that group of Geist.'_

Blake read the reply over and over, trying to formulate a response. She wasn't sure what to say, and as she hesitantly put her fingers to the keyboard, she was at a temporary loss for words. As she tapped on a few characters, another message popped up.

 _'They're terrifying. I know they're more common in certain areas than others, and the chances of running into them are overall pretty low, but it's hard to shake that feeling of terror when I imagine them materializing out of the darkness.'_

Blake tilted her head to one side, contemplating her response. That night had been pretty hard on all of them, to be fair, and if it weren't for Blake's keen night vision, the Grimm would have gotten a lot closer before being noticed, the small light of their campfire not illuminating much beyond ten or fifteen feet.

It was a chilling experience, to have have completely silent, near-invisible wraiths appear out of the darkness, long spindly limbs outstretched toward the four girls in a clawing attempt to snuff out their lives, and it was only Blake's advanced warning of their silent approach that gave them a fighting chance.

To be a mere human, with pathetic, nearly non-existent night vision... Blake closed her eyes and shook the thoughts from her head.

It wasn't worth thinking about.

Blake took a deep breath, then slowly, quietly, exhaled. A thought toyed at the edges of her mind, and a quick glance at Ruby ensured that the girl was sleeping peacefully, shoulders rising and falling with each slow, deep breath.

Slowly, she teased and enticed the shadow of an idea to the front of her mind. There she turned it over, inspecting each facet and weighing the pros and cons of the idea.

It wasn't a _terrible_ idea... it just... wasn't a very smart one.

But it was getting late, and she was willing to pass the terrible idea off as the result of exhaustion and the desperate desire to get some sleep.

Slowly, she typed out her reply, finger hovering over the 'send' button for the briefest of moments before pressing it firmly.

As the message disappeared from the text box and popped into the chat window, Blake felt her heart weakly skip a beat.

 _'Would you like to sleep with me tonight? I'll keep watch over you. What are partners for, anyway?'_

Blake read the message she had sent over and over, mind racing as she wondered which of the several ways she was imagining she should have rephrased that. She closed her eyes, mumbling a near silent curse as she realized there were a thousand other ways to say "sleep with me" without using those exact words in that exact order.

Just what did Yang think she was trying to do?

A mild wave of panic swept over her as she realized that it was taking Yang way too long to respond. Normally she was quicker than this.

Still no response via scroll, and Blake's ears twitched as she realized Yang was dead silent above her. No 'tap tap' of her forming a response, no shifting in bed as she moved her scroll into a more comfortable position to text a response... nothing.

Blake groaned internally, raising her scroll up and swiftly typing out another message.

 _'Sorry, I didn't mean that. I just want some sleep, and I want darkness, I just don't want you to-'_

Blake paused as the ambient glow from Yang's scroll disappeared, the room plunging into total darkness. Blake glanced from the bright back-lit screen of her scroll to the dorm room, noting that the only source of light now was the thin line of illumination emanating from underneath the bathroom door.

Then her ears twitched, swiveling back and forth as she zeroed in on the sound of a muted rustling above her.

In the back of her mind she absentmindedly noted that the shower had stopped; when, she wasn't sure, but she couldn't hear the water running now. She could hear the muffled sounds of items clattering around in the bathroom, no doubt Weiss moving hair brushes, toothbrushes and the like around as she went through her extensive routine.

Blake was suddenly pulled from her thoughts as Yang dropped down onto the floor beside her bed, looking apprehensive and rubbing her arm nervously.

"I-if you don't mind... " Yang said softly. "That way I hopefully won't keep you up anymore."

Blake stared at the wild blonde beside her bed disbelievingly, before realizing that Yang was probably feeling pretty awkward and exposed standing there.

Jerking into action, Blake immediately shuffled over, lifting the corner of her blanket and gesturing for Yang to climb in.

Yang seemed to hesitate a moment, before glancing over her shoulder at her sister. Finding Ruby fast asleep with her back to the room, Yang nodded to herself then slowly slipped under the covers.

It was obvious that Yang was intending to keep as much distance as possible between herself and Blake, hugging the edge of the bed as she moved around, getting comfortable.

Blake watched her fidget for a moment, adjusting the blankets, adjusting her position on her back, fiddling with the blanket that covered her, before sighing in exasperation. She would never catch a wink of sleep this way...

"Get over here and stop fidgeting." Blake whispered, loudly enough for Yang to hear, but not loud enough to disturb the sleeping red-head a few paces away. Reaching out, Blake grabbed Yang's wrist under the blankets, pulling Yang away from the outer edge of the bed.

Yang timidly resisted at first, but at Blake's insistence, eventually shuffled closer to the middle of the bed, closer to the raven-haired girl that had invited her in.

Blake shuffled closer, gently pushing on Yang's shoulder. The girl glanced questioningly at her, although Blake was sure that she could barely see any facial details in the dark that blanketed the room.

"Turn over." Blake instructed. "Face away from me, I'm... not clothed."

Yang promptly twisted over, turning her back to Blake as she clucked her tongue disbelievingly.

"You're naked?" Yang hissed quietly, pulling Blake's blanket up to her chin as she adjusted her head on one of Blake's soft pillows.

Blake sighed roughly. "I like to sleep naked. And I like to sleep. So shush. I'll keep you safe from whatever lives in the shadows, so please, for the love of God, go the hell to sleep."

Yang was silent after that, and the only sound that reached their ears was of Blake slowly shuffling closer to Yang.

A second later, Yang was distinctly aware of Blake pressing up against her back, arm encircling her waist and pulling Yang's hips back into Blake's.

"Say a word about this to anyone, and I'll tell the school you're afraid of the dark." Blake growled softly in Yang's ear, fingertips clutching at Yang's hips even as she uncontrollably pressed her own hips against Yang's supple behind.

"U-understood." Was Yang's one word reply.

Blake was about to say something else, but the bathroom door opened and Weiss stepped out into the room.

Closing her mouth, Blake opted instead for burying her face in Yang's hair, pushing herself as tight to the blonde as she could, and closing her eyes. Instantly a wave of weariness passed over her, accompanied by a deep relaxation as she nuzzled gently against her partner. She was vaguely aware of Weiss moving around the room, pausing for a few seconds near their bed, before continuing on toward her own bunk, but she made no attempt to move, and Yang didn't either. Instead, Yang placed her own hand over Blake's, gently threading their fingers together.

"... Thanks, Blake." Yang breathed quietly.

Blake suppressed a groan, instead tilting her head up slightly toward the curve of Yang's shoulder. Baring her teeth, she gently bit Yang, increasing the pressure until Yang flinched underneath her, then backing off and tenderly passing her tongue over the small fang-shaped indentations in her soft skin.

"Shhhhh." Blake whispered sternly, lowering her head until she was nuzzling up against Yang again.

Yang didn't risk a reply, and in the ensuing silence, Blake quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Author's note: Reviews are appreciated. Feel free to let me know what you think. Thank you for reading.


	45. Night Lights Part Two

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty-Five: Night Lights, Part Two_

 _White Rose_

* * *

It was still early in the morning when Weiss sat quietly at the table adjacent to the entrance to their dorm room. Placing a hot cup of coffee on the table, she daintily crossed one leg over the other as she glanced out the window on the opposite side of the room that spanned the distance between their haphazardly constructed bunk beds.

Stars twinkled faintly in the night sky, competing valiantly with the glow from the lamps on Beacon's property. In another forty-five minutes or so, the stars would fade from the sky as soft oranges and reds streaked through the darkness, but for now, Weiss could relax and sigh contentedly as she raised her cup to her lips in the near darkness of the dorm.

Eventually, her gaze slid from the night sky outside their window to the two lumps sharing Blake's lower bunk.

A faint splash of gold reached Weiss' eyes, and alongside that, a dark mass that seemed to absorb any ambient light, their hair entangled together as Blake and Yang embraced each other in their sleep.

Truthfully, she hadn't known what to make of the situation when she had gotten out of the shower last night, and after sleeping on it, she had quickly realized that she still wasn't sure what to make of it.

Although, she had come to the realization that it wasn't really any of her business.

Pale blue eyes slid over to the bed across from Yang's supported precariously from the ceiling by an assortment of ropes.

Their team leader currently occupied that bunk, unceremoniously spread out on the bed spread eagle, with her shirt riding up and exposing her bare stomach and her blankets all kicked down to the foot of her bed.

Weiss' gaze narrowed fractionally, a wave of disapproval marring her otherwise impassive features as she caught sight of the most unladylike behavior.

Truly, Ruby was still such a child.

Weiss took another slow, measured sip of her coffee, closing her eyes for a moment as she savored the bitter flavor flooding across her tongue.

After a moment, she opened her eyes to glance about the dormitory room, her sharp gaze sweeping from right to left as she absorbed any detail.

It had been a few weeks since she had seen the room cast into darkness, lit by naught but ambient lamp light and whatever moonlight could penetrate the persistent cloud cover.

Yang's habit of leaving her scroll illuminated had been frustrating at first, leaving Weiss feeling like her peaceful cloak of darkness had been stripped from her.

Of course, it made the room no less quiet in the mornings as she moved on silent feet preparing her favourite morning beverage, but it was nonetheless a change, and it wasn't a change enacted by herself, so it wasn't welcome.

She felt a certain serenity in the early morning, and for a time, it felt as if Yang had inadvertently stolen that from her.

It didn't take long to get used to however, and she began to appreciate the light emanating from Yang's scroll as she began her morning routine.

Now, cast back into darkness, Weiss supposed she should have been thankful, but the only thought that persisted at the front of her mind was _just how the hell those two had ended up in bed together_.

Against her will, her gaze slipped to her young team member.

Ruby's peaceful sleeping face was framed by the most beautifully mis-matched length hair Weiss had ever seen. Longer on the girl's right than on her left, she never-the-less seemed to have two perpetual unruly tufts that stuck out at the sides, oddly reminiscent of down-turned puppy ears.

With her large silver eyes and upturned eyebrows, cute pouty mouth and the slightest whimper, there was hardly a request from the energetic girl that Weiss could find in herself to turn down.

The girl's arms were straight out at her sides, her chest rising and falling slowly with each peaceful breath. Her shirt was still riding up, exposing her navel, and Weiss quickly passed her eyes over Ruby's bare stomach on her way to the girl's long, slender legs.

Abruptly realizing that she was staring once again at her team leader, she turned away with a soft, ' _hmph!'_ before glancing back to her other two team mates.

Seriously, how the hell did one convince the other to do that?

She would have to find out.

Raising her cup to her lips, she took another sip and looked out the window at the night sky above.

* * *

"Do you think Ruby's still sleeping?" Yang asked, her voice a whisper.

Without thinking, Blake reached up and gently brushed a soft strand of gold out of Yang's face, fingertips caressing her cheek before she realized what she was doing. Pulling her hand back quickly as her eyes widened in surprise, she almost forgot that Yang had asked her a question.

"Uh.. er... yeah, probably." Blake answered, far less articulate than she would have preferred. In the dim light of morning, Yang's violet eyes took on an iridescent hue as she smirked.

"Well, then you should probably get dressed before anyone sees us." Yang teased quietly.

At that, Blake raised a single slender eyebrow.

"Me, get dressed? Please, this is my bed." She huffed, pulling the blanket covering her body up a bit higher. "Now that I'm done with you, get out of my bed and when you see me in the halls, pretend you don't know me."

Yang bit her lip to stifle her laughter as Blake turned away from her, rubbing her cheek against her pillow before sighing quietly in contentment.

Against her better judgement, Yang slid a bit closer to the naked faunus under the blankets, careful to leave a few inches between them out of respect for Blake's rapidly dwindling personal space. Leaning closer to the girl, Yang reached out and gently tucked Blake's rebellious wavy locks behind her ear.

"D'you think we could-"

"OH MY GOD GUYS, knock it off, I'm not sleeping!" Ruby's exasperated voice interrupted Yang's less than quiet whisper, startling the two girls sharing Blake's bed.

Yang jumped away from Blake, a heated blush staining her cheeks at the thought of her younger sister getting the wrong idea.

"R-Ruby!" Yang laughed nervously, sitting up in bed and scratching the back of her neck.

"I was uh... just... sorry, did we wake you?"

Ruby kicked her blankets off, before sidling over to the edge of her bed and fixing her sister with a suspicious stare.

"I've been awake for a while. I tried to go back to sleep, but you two wouldn't knock it the hell off."

"We weren't doing anything!" Yang protested, throwing her arms up helplessly.

"Look, I'm even fully clothed!"

Just then, the dorm door opened, and Weiss stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. Seeing Ruby glaring at her older sister, she immediately stopped and examined the situation.

Yang looked abashed and apologetic, Blake was facing the wall, not moving and not speaking, and Ruby looked slightly annoyed.

"Hmm. I take it you two woke Ruby up?" Weiss asked, moving toward the table and placing a few small bags upon it's clean surface.

"We didn't do anything!" Yang insisted, this time her voice sounding a bit more like a whine.

Ruby scoffed. "I head you guys whispering to each other!"

Yang was about to respond, when Weiss interrupted.

"Ruby, they weren't doing anything. If my suspicions are correct, and the lack of an illuminated scroll is any indication, Blake invited Yang to sleep with her because she got tired of Yang being afraid of the dark, _like a child._ " Weiss said sweetly, smiling at Yang who cast her an irritated glance.

Ruby glanced from Weiss, to her sister, and back again, silver eyes narrowing for a moment before widening in recognition.

"Oh... OH!" Ruby exclaimed, face lighting up as the pieces fell into place.

"Yang, was that why you had your scroll on all night the last few weeks?"

Weiss raised a flawless eyebrow at the older sister, a smirk playing about her lips as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, was it, Yang?" She asked, a taunting edge to her voice.

Yang mumbled something under her breath that neither Weiss nor her younger sister could catch, but whatever it was, it was rude enough to warrant a gentle slap on the shoulder from Blake.

"It's okay, Yang." Ruby said, a sympathetic tone in her voice. "Sometimes I have nightmares too."

If Weiss had cat ears like Blake, they'd have stood at attention and swiveled toward Ruby to absorb every word.

Carefully, Weiss chose her next words.

"Well, Ruby, I know you usually crawl into bed with Yang when you have a nightmare, but seeing as she's currently winning the blonde sissy contest between herself and Jaune, I suppose I could open my bed to you."

Pleased with herself that she had disguised her intentions with a well-aimed jab at the blonde brute, the self-satisfied smirk was quickly wiped from her face when Ruby chirpily replied, "Thanks, but no thanks Weiss. I'm doing a lot better now than when I first came to Beacon."

Weiss blinked once, then twice, temporarily at a loss for words.

"Plus, I'm part of the greatest team of huntresses this academy has ever seen. What's there to be afraid of?" Ruby asked, hopping out of bed and raising her arms above her head.

Stretching lazily, Ruby opened her mouth wide to yawn, revealing her small, perfect white teeth. Her shirt rode up a bit as she reached toward the ceiling as high as she could, and Weiss glanced away, folding her arms across her chest as Ruby sighed, wiping a few stray tears from the corners of her eyes.

Dropping her arms to her sides, Ruby focused her silver gaze on her partner.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked, tilting her head to the side. Weiss looked back to Ruby, annoyance flitting across her features.

"I understand that it's the weekend, but are you all going to laze around in bed all day? There are things that we need to get done today, you know." Weiss tried to disguise the irritation in her voice, but as Ruby raised a questioning eyebrow at her, it was clear that she hadn't been successful. Turning away, she gestured toward the door.

"I'm going to go take an airship into town. Try to make something of the day, at least."

Before anyone could respond, the white-haired heiress was gone, the door slamming closed behind her.

* * *

It was late at night when Weiss finally made it back to her dorm room, a general sense of frustration keeping her worked up for most of the day. She couldn't quite pinpoint the reason for her distress, so to avoid lashing out at her team-mates more than necessary, she stayed out and shopped until she had managed to put a cap on her emotions. Now significantly more calm, she silently closed the door, locking it securely as she slipped out of her white boots.

The dorm room was dark, and the sound of light breathing told her that her team members were either asleep or nearly so. She stood in the doorway for a few moments, and when her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that there was no scroll throwing up beams of illumination from Yang's bed.

 _'So, she's sleeping with Blake again tonight.'_

Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she instead focused on another thought. Setting two black bags down on the floor near the door, she moved silently through the room gathering up a pair of sweatpants and a loose fitting shirt, wondering idly if Ruby had showered yet, and if so, she wondered if the bathroom looked like a bomb had gone off in it.

Quietly pushing open the bathroom door, she stepped inside and gently closed it behind her. In the darkness, her fingers felt around for the lock. Only once it was engaged, the door tightly shut, did she risk turning on the light.

Blinking the bright light from her eyes, she glanced around the shared bathroom.

Ruby's toothbrush and tube of toothpaste sat on the bathroom counter in a puddle of moisture, but all in all, it was much cleaner than she had anticipated. There were no piles of clothing on the floor, and Ruby must have been standing a bit further back from the mirror this time when she brushed her teeth, because there was no evidence of spattering on the clean glass above the bathroom sink.

Weiss turned on the hot water, waiitng a moment until lazy tendrils of steam curled up from the stream of water before picking up Ruby's toothbrush. Passing it under the hot water a few times, she thoroughly rinsed it before carefully placing it into the drawer on the right side of the counter. Picking up the toothpaste, she grumbled softly at Ruby's lack of cleanliness, before twisting the cap on tightly and tucking it away with Ruby's toothbrush.

Sighing quietly, she looked up and caught her reflection in the mirror. A pale-skinned girl with long, waist length silver hair stared back, a dark pink scar crossing through her left eye drawing her pale blue gaze.

Leaning in closer to the mirror, she gingerly reached up and softly ran her finger down the scar, tracing it in it's entirety. The slash ran from top to bottom, and the end of the cut wasn't clean. If one looked closely, they would see that the scar skipped toward the end, patches of pink interspersed with white.

From afar, however, it looked much cleaner than that.

Licking her lips softly, Weiss cast her gaze downward, modest even in her own presence as she reached down to grab the hem of her shirt in both hands. Turning away from the mirror, she peeled the shirt off over her head in one fluid motion, carefully shaking it out before hanging it up on the back of the bathroom door. Taking a moment to run her hands through her lengthy hair, she didn't think twice about the flexibility and dexterity her training had given her as she reached back with one hand to undo the clasp of her bra. Pinching the material between her middle and pointer fingers, her thumb slipped over the exposed clasp, flicking it off and freeing her of the constricting item.

She slipped it down off her arms before carefully hanging it up next to her shirt.

Her long, unfettered hair tickled her bare back as she bent down, silver strands sliding effortlessly over her pale, toned shoulders to obscure her practiced ease, she slipped her pants and panties off in one smooth motion, stepping out of them before hooking a toe into the folds of her clothing. With an easy, practiced kick, she picked up the bundle of clothing, tossing it into the air and catching it before it fell to the floor.

They joined the rest of her clothing on the back of the door.

Turning toward the shower, she quickly turned it on, adjusting the temperature until it was just shy of Hell's Gate.

When the water temperature was to her liking, she ran a hand through her hair to push her bangs back from her face before stepping in.

* * *

A little over an hour later Weiss emerged, opening the door and shivering as the warm, humid bathroom was flooded with chilled air from the dorm room. Clad in grey sweatpants that came down to mid-shin and a dark blue sleeveless T-shirt oddly reminiscent of Yang's preferred style of clothing, Weiss was as comfortable as she could possibly be without being face down on her bed.

Thoughts of her bed calling her name after such a trying day coursed through her mind, and she silently padded over to it.

It was nights like this that made her happy that she was on the bottom bunk, she reflected idly as she sat down on the edge of her bed. The noise that would be generated by attempting to haul herself up to the poorly secured top bunk would no doubt irritate or awaken her team-mates, and she was glad that Ruby often passed out earlier than everyone else.

Ruby...

Tilting her head back, Weiss glared up at the bottom of the bunk above her. Her eyes traced the wooden slats supporting Ruby's mattress, and she sighed quietly. Reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair from her face, she looked down to her bed.

Hesitantly her fingers found the edge of the bedding, pulling it back to reveal the cool sheets beneath. Her body ached for the cool embrace of her bed, but her mind regretted yet another night spent sleeping alone.

Glancing sideways at where Yang was currently spooning Blake, she gently bit her bottom lip, white teeth gnawing gently in a years-old habit of agitation that she was never able to fully control.

Finally she sighed, tearing her gaze away from her team-mates. Crawling into bed, she pulled the covers up to her shoulders, turning over to face the wall. Try as she might, she couldn't get Blake's contented sleeping face out of her mind.

 _'I wish I had that.'_ Was the only thought that floated through her mind on repeat until she fell asleep.

* * *

Weiss awoke in an instant, disoriented and confused. It felt like she hadn't been asleep for very long, and she stifled a yawn as she rolled over onto her back, blinking a few times to clear her vision as she wondered what it was that had woken her up. Reaching up to rub at her face, she yawned again as she ran her hand through her hair.

Her confusion increased ten-fold as she glanced at the clock on Blake's bedside table. The sharp white LED letters proudly proclaimed the time; 11:13 P.M.

She had turned in at 11, or so she thought. Her head still foggy from sleep, she wondered for half a second if she had slept for a full 24 hours, but then she realized her hair was still damp from the shower.

Shaking her head to clear the confusion from her mind, she slowed her breathing and listened intently for any sign of what it was that had awoken her.

"Mmm... "

Pale blue eyes widened slightly as she realized the sound was coming from the bunk above her.

"Mm...mmh!"

Heart hammering in her chest, Weiss glanced to her left and saw that Blake and Yang were still sound asleep. This time Yang was on her back, blankets around her waist. Blake was curled up with her head on Yang's stomach, clutching her knees almost to her chest in what Weiss could only surmise was the most uncomfortable sleeping position ever conceived. Yang's hands were tangled in Blake's hair, clutching onto her even as they both slept peacefully.

Another soft sound from Ruby brought Weiss' attention back to the girl, and Weiss sat up, glancing at the bunk above her.

Straining her hearing, Weiss heard deep, heavy breathing, almost like a breathless panting. Eyebrow raising slightly, Weiss was unsure of what to make of it until a soft whine pierced the air, causing the heiress to jump slightly.

 _'What the hell is she doing up there?'_ Weiss thought irritatedly. It was beginning to sound highly indecent, and Weiss swore to whatever Gods were listening that if her sleep was interrupted by Ruby engaging in...

Even in her thoughts, she couldn't think the word. Sighing, she opened her mouth, intent on chastising Ruby for waking her. As she felt her lips forming Ruby's name, she was cut short as a wretched sob reached her ears, following by Ruby crying out in distress.

"Mom! Don't... "

Weiss froze, unsure of what to do. Her heart raced in her chest and blood pounded in her ears, and she wanted to do so many things at once to wake Ruby up and comfort her as she realized that Ruby was having a nightmare, that she could do nothing at all.

Suddenly the bunk above her shifted as Ruby sat up, gasping for breath after shaky breath. Weiss listened intently, sitting upright in bed with her blanket clutched tightly in her hands, cursing herself for not knowing what to do.

The bed above her rocked slightly as Ruby threw back the blankets and carefully crawled to the edge.

Weiss saw Ruby's legs swing over the side of the bed, then a dark blur as Ruby dropped barefoot to the floor below. Standing up, her back to Weiss, she had no idea that the girl was awake and watching her as she quietly tiptoed to Yang's side of the room.

"Ya-"

Yang's whispered name was cut short as Ruby realized that Yang was once again sleeping with Blake, and the dark-haired girl reached out as if to rouse Yang from her sleep. Weiss watched as she hesitated, before sighing, her tiny shoulders drooping. Her hand fell back to her side, before she turned on her heel to move back toward her own bed.

That's when guarded blue met vulnerable silver, and Ruby's eyes widened as she realized that Weiss was awake and watching her.

"W-Weiss, I'm sorry if I woke you." Ruby spoke in the softest whisper possible, afraid of rousing the sleeping Faunus mere feet away.

Weiss shook her head, unsure of what to say to the poor girl in front of her. Instead, she tilted her head toward her own bed, then patted the edge in an invitation to sit.

Ruby hesitated for a split second, a troubled look flashing across her face before she made her decision. Shuffling slowly toward Weiss, Weiss had to school the annoyance threatening to spread across her face into a mask of indifference as Ruby slowly sat down beside her, albeit with an extra foot of space between them.

"What's wrong?" Weiss began, reaching up to brush her still slightly damp hair away from her face.

Ruby, who had been staring at her lap, glanced up at Weiss.

"I had a bad dream about my mom." She whispered, clasping her hands together in her lap as she spun her thumbs around idly.

Weiss sighed quietly.

"You were going to ask if you could sleep with Yang tonight." It wasn't a question.

Ruby pouted for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing ever so cutely as she pursed her lips together before nodding.

"Yeah... "

"You don't like sleeping alone." Another statement.

Ruby shrugged. "Not on nights like this." Was her quiet reply.

Weiss looked away from Ruby, silently willing herself to gather the courage to invite Ruby into her bed. Here was her golden opportunity, throwing itself in her lap, yet the words seemed to stick in her throat and her heart hammered too loudly in her chest for her to hear her own thoughts.

"Well-" Weiss began to speak, but for some reason she couldn't turn her jumbled thoughts into coherent words. She stared at Ruby, her soft skin illuminated by the pale rays of the broken moon streaming in through the window. Her hair looked impossibly soft, so shiny and inviting, Weiss wondered what it would be like to run her hands through it, tangling her fingers in the loose strands and grabbing fistfuls as she pulled Ruby closer-

Ruby's silver eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and she leaned back away from Weiss ever so slightly.

The movement snapped Weiss out of her reverie, and she blinked, narrowing her eyes as she licked her lips.

"What's that reaction for?" Weiss asked harshly.

Ruby glanced away, shrugging. "You suddenly got a really scary look on your face." Ruby spoke up meekly, lowering her head until her hair obscured her face from view.

Weiss was about to protest, but she realized it was a lost cause. Sighing softly, she passed a hand over her face in an attempt to straighten out her thoughts.

Ruby, however, took it as a sign of impatience, and rose to her feet.

"What're you...?"

Ruby gently smoothed out her black sweatpants, picking off a few pieces of lint before clasping her hands together. With a sharp jerk of her head, she tossed her hair out of her face and smiled forlornly down at Weiss.

"I've kept you awake long enough, and for that, I'm sorry. Goodnight Weiss, see you in the morning. Sorry for waking you."

Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but the words died in her throat as Ruby smiled demurely at her, the gorgeous girl tilting her head to the side apologetically before reaching up and effortlessly hauling herself up onto her bunk.

 _'Say something, you idiot!'_ Her mind raged at her, furious at her incompetence and lack of action.

Weiss looked up, watching as Ruby threw one leg up onto the edge of her bed, the bunk swaying gently on the ropes from the movement.

 _'Do something, stupid! She was practically begging you!'_

Weiss was immobile, unable to move or think as her body seemed to disobey her mind's orders.

 _'WEISS!'_

Just as Ruby was pulling her trailing leg up onto her bunk, Weiss jolted into action. Lunging forward, she grabbed Ruby's ankle with a bit more force than absolutely necessary, earning a surprised yelp from the girl on the bunk above her.

"W-Weiss?"

"Ruby... if you'll be more comfortable, sleep with me tonight." Again, she didn't phrase it as a question, leaving no room for argument. Ruby's hot skin burned beneath her cool fingertips. Slowly, her thumb caressed Ruby's ankle.

Ruby never was very good at picking up at hints, though.

"Thanks for the offer Weiss, but I'll be okay tonight. No need to put yourself out for my sake."

Weiss closed her eyes, gritting her teeth together as she tightened her grip almost imperceptibly on Ruby's ankle.

"Ruby."

A moment's hesitation, then meekly, "Yes, Weiss?"

Weiss forced herself to take a deep breath, moreso due to nervousness, but, she told herself, mostly to diffuse her irritation.

"It wasn't negotiable."

Ruby was quiet for a moment, and Weiss glanced down at the pillows on her bed. There were far too many of them for just one person tonight...

"Are you sure, Weiss?"

Weiss' grip tightened a bit, then she forced herself to relax.

"Yes. Please." She whispered quietly.

There was no sound from the girl above her, and Weiss feared that she had done or said something wrong. Uncertainty swirled though her, causing her to doubt herself as the silence in the room seemed too loud in her ears.

"Okay." Ruby finally spoke, her voice soft.

Weiss nodded as she released Ruby's ankle. The bed above her swayed as Ruby positioned herself to jump back down, and Weiss moved away from the edge of the bed so that Ruby wouldn't strike her on the way down.

Crawling back under the blankets as Ruby hopped down on silent feet, Weiss lifted the corner of her blanket, tilting her head toward it in an indication of her invitation to Ruby.

Ruby stared at her for a second, before nodding. Crawling into bed under the blankets, Ruby immediately rolled onto her side to face Weiss.

They were silent for a few minutes as they stared at each other, but ultimately Weiss felt a distinct heat rising to her cheeks and she had to look away as a dark blush stole over her.

Weiss moved away from her leader until there was a generous amount of space between them, and Ruby made no move to close the gap.

"Thanks Weiss." Ruby whispered quietly, studying Weiss' face intently.

Unable to handle the staring, Weiss lowered her head and buried her face in her pillow. Instead of answering her leader, she merely reached out beneath the blankets until she touched Ruby's hand. Grasping it firmly in her own hand, Weiss closed her eyes, comfortable in the feeling of Ruby sharing her bed a few inches away.

* * *

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed. More to come, hopefully soon. Reviews are encouraged, let me know what you think. Thank you for reading.


	46. Knockout Part 4

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty-Six: Knockout, Part 4_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

A shrill ringing shattered the silence in the darkened dorm room and Yang jolted as she leapt backward away from Blake. Caught off guard by her scroll ringing, Yang felt her face heat up as she realized what she was just about to do. Tearing her eyes away from Blake's confused face, Yang clawed for her scroll, losing it in the folds of her blanket for a second as it continued to ring insistently.

Heart hammering in her chest, Yang's hand finally closed around the device, picking it up and bringing it up to her face. Placing her thumb on the fingerprint scanner, it popped open, displaying the person who was calling.

"Ruby?" Yang asked, hoping she didn't look too disheveled. Instinctively, she reached up to smooth out her wild mane of blonde hair.

Ruby grinned at her in the video chat window.

"Hi Yang. I was just checking up on you guys to make sure that you didn't let Blake fall asleep."

Yang scowled, a facial expression that she rarely employed.

Except when it came to implications that she couldn't take care of her partner, that is.

"Of course not, Ruby."

Ruby shrugged. "Hey, I'm not saying, I'm just saying."

Yang raised an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side somewhat as she tried to make sense of what Ruby had just said.

"...Huh?"

Ruby waved her off, shaking her head.

"Just something Sun says, don't worry about it."

"Ooookay."

Ruby giggled, then tilted head to the left, silver eyes glancing around as if she could peer out of the scroll to look around the room.

"Speaking of Blake, where is she?"

Yang glanced down at the small box at the bottom of her scroll that showed what Ruby could see. Realizing that Ruby was currently enjoying a closeup of her flushed face, she pulled the scroll back to widen the field of view.

"She's right here." Yang said, as Blake materialized into view, still leaning against Yang's chest.

Ruby grinned, her scroll shaking slightly as she giggled.

"Ohh, she's so adorable with her cute little kitty ears, I just wanna pet them all night, they look so soft and small and sensitive and-"

Ruby was cut off by Blake shaking her head, reaching out to paw at the scroll.

"No, Ruby." Blake muttered, straightening up a bit to gently headbutt Yang in the chin.

Caught off guard, Yang let out a small 'oof', her breath tickling Blake's ears and causing them to twitch sporadically and brush ticklishly against Yang's chin.

"Yang's the only one who can touch my ears." Blake said quietly, catching both Yang and Ruby by surprise.

Ruby was silent for a moment, doing her best impression of a silver-eyed owl as she blinked in stunned silence at Blake's declaration.

"Yeahhh... " Yang said slowly, "She's still pretty doped up."

Ruby giggled, then waved, glancing to her left as an indistinguishable voice was barely picked up by the scroll's microphone.

"I gotta go Yang, but take care of Blake tonight!"

"When are you going to be home tonight?" Yang asked quickly, in an attempt to get her question out before Ruby disconnected the call.

Ruby turned back to the scroll, then shrugged.

"Whenever Weiss wants to leave the party, I guess, is when I'll be home."

Yang nodded, then Ruby's words registered in her mind a second later, and she narrowed her eyes.

"You said you were going to review stuff for class tomorrow! Ruby! The hell do you mean, 'party'?"

Ruby's eyes widened, silver orbs shrinking down as she grit her teeth, realizing that she had been found out.

"Oops! Er... ahh... kchssssssk! Yang! You're... schhhhhh... breaking up! Call me later! Schhhhhhkt! Or don't!"

With that, the screen went blank, and Yang stared disbelievingly at her scroll.

"Why, I oughta... "

Opening her messages, she clicked on Weiss' name, intent on giving the heiress a piece of her mind.

Her intentions were short-lived though, as Blake playfully pawed at Yang's scroll. Yang pulled away, attempting to lean out of her reach, but it was somewhat difficult with the raven-haired girl completely relaxed against her chest, pressing up against her with every bit of her comfortable body.

Yang could only stretch her scroll so far, but Blake was having none of it, leaning forward and knocking the scroll clean out of Yang's hand with a well placed swat.

"Blake!"

Blake merely turned to face Yang, her golden eyes shining with a mischievous light as the corner of her mouth lifted in a small smirk.

Yang paused, the stern chastising she was about to give Blake dying on her tongue. Instead she found herself lost in Blake's mesmerizing gaze, unable to think as she stared intently at the beautiful girl before her.

"You'd better pick that up." Yang said softly, the empty threat having about as much effect as a plastic sword on an Atlesian airship.

"Or you'll what?" Blake asked, swaying unsteadily for a moment before straightening up, albeit a bit closer to Yang this time.

Yang glanced down at Blake's lips before meeting her gaze once more, finding herself entranced by the deep molten gold staring back.

"Or, I'll... uh... " Yang trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Blake smirked again, before leaning forward and pressing her forehead against Yang's chest, nuzzling against the girl and wrapping her arms around Yang. Yang glanced down at the top of Blake's head, wondering if the girl could hear her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

Yang swallowed nervously, wrapping her arms around Blake's shoulders and pulling her close.

Oh, who was she kidding? Of course Blake could hear it, her heartbeat could have been mistaken for Nora's Magnhild right now.

Blake hummed quietly, before once more pushing herself up against Yang, gently ramming her head into Yang's chin.

"Oof, Blake, the hell... "

Blake headbutted her once more, and Yang tilted her head up and away from Blake in an attempt to get her to stop.

This, however, seemed to be exactly what Blake wanted, as she nuzzled against Yang's now exposed throat.

"Hnng... "

Blake hummed softly in approval, before tilting her head back and opening her mouth slightly. Slowly, her warm, wet tongue slid up Yang's throat, catching the girl unaware.

Yang's hands tightened around Blake, fingernails digging into the girl's skin. Blake didn't seem to notice as she took another long, languid swipe at Yang's throat.

"Blake, the hell are you doing?" Yang finally managed to choke out, feeling her face burning with embarrassment. She gripped Blake tighter in an effort to stop her hands from trembling.

Blake seemed to ignore her, her twitching ear the only indication that she had noticed Yang speak. Raising her left hand, gently cupped Yang's cheek, caressing the blonde's smooth skin before slowly wrapping her hand around Yang's throat.

Yang's grip weakened on Blake's shirt as she squeezed her eyes closed, lost in the feeling of Blake's long, thin fingers around her neck.

Applying light pressure, Blake gently tightened her grip around Yang's throat. Not enough to cause her discomfort or difficulty in breathing, but enough for Yang to figure out who was in control.

Tilting Yang's head to the side, Blake shuffled closer as her lips descended on Yang's exposed neck. Dropping soft, chaste kisses onto Yang's fevered skin, Blake worked her way up to Yang's ear, where she took her earlobe between her teeth and gave it a gentle bite.

Yang's sharp intake of breath was audible in the otherwise empty dorm room, and Blake giggled quietly.

"That's payback for biting my ear earlier." Blake whispered.

Yang winced, then let out a shaky breath that she wasn't aware she had been holding.

"I-I suppose I deserved that, then."

Blake nodded, unable to speak as she licked Yang's throat slowly once more before kissing her collarbone.

A soft groan emanated unbidden from Yang, and Blake responded by gently sucking on her neck, releasing her grip around Yang's throat to instead tangle her fingers in Yang's hair.

The gentle tugging seemed to snap Yang back to her senses, and her eyes shot open as she realized just exactly what she was doing.

 _'Oh God oh God oh God, Blake is gonna kill me when she comes to her senses tomorrow!'_

Reaching up, Yang gently tugged Blake away, tilting her head to the left in an attempt to get Blake to release her.

Blake seemed reluctant to though, tightening her grip on Yang as she pressed her body tighter against the blonde.

"Blake, stop, c'mon, be good." Yang tried her best to sound convincing, but it was so damn difficult with Blake nuzzled into her side. It turns out Blake liked to lick, and Yang couldn't control her thoughts as she wondered just what else Blake would like licking.

Cheeks darkening at the lustful thoughts of her drugged up partner, Yang felt a wave of shame pass through her and she tugged a bit more forcefully at Blake, successfully disentangling the girl from her side.

Blake leaned back a bit, glaring up at Yang with a pout on her face.

"Don't you give me that look." Yang warned, wagging her finger warningly at Blake.

Blake's golden orbs switched from Yang to the finger wavering in front of her face, then she leaned forward and took the tip of Yang's finger into her mouth, sucking on it gently and swirling her tongue around the pad of Yang's finger, all the while looking up at Yang with wide, innocent eyes.

Yang had to bite her bottom lip quite hard to avoid vocalizing the part-moan, part-whine that was building in her throat. She wanted to squeeze her legs together in an attempt to suppress the heat building between her legs, but with Blake nestled quite comfortably in her lap, all she succeeded in doing when she clenched her thighs was encouraging the girl to try to scoot even closer, as if there were any space left between them to begin with.

Yang tried to pull her hand away, but Blake was quicker. Latching onto Yang's wrist with both of her hands, she glanced up at Yang. Her dark, golden eyes seemed to be a bit clearer than they were an hour ago, but Yang couldn't quite concentrate enough to tell for sure if there was a difference, or if she was simply imagining it.

Blake seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if contemplating something. Yang took this opportunity to try to pull her hand out of Blake's grip, but the girl instantly tightened her hold on Yang, unwilling to let her go. Her ears perked up and swiveled around as Yang cursed softly under her breath, and Blake let the corner of her mouth lift ever so slightly.

Gently she pulled Yang's wrist down to her hips, and Yang felt her breath catch in her throat as Blake pressed Yang's upturned palm between her legs.

"Wha-"

Blake moaned quietly, leaning forward and pressing her forehead against Yang's shoulder. Yang made another attempt to pull away, but it was weak, and Blake didn't have to try very hard to keep Yang's hand pressed against her.

Yang couldn't focus on anything other than the feeling of just how _wet_ Blake was, and she could feel how hot Blake's skin was through the thin white sweatpants she had been dressed in from the infirmary.

Desire getting the best of her rational thought, Yang gently curled her fingers up, cupping Blake through her damp sweatpants and earning a breathy moan from the girl. Encouraged by the positive response, Yang began to slowly rub her hand up and down, applying gentle pressure to Blake's core as she tried her best to commit the feeling of Blake to memory.

Blake moaned a bit louder, rocking her hips against Yang's hand before reaching down and pressing Yang's hand tighter to her, entwining their fingers together.

"Take your time when you explore every bit of me Yang," Blake moaned breathlessly into Yang's ear, her hot breath sending shivers down Yang's spine as her heart pounded uncontrollably in her chest.

"You have to keep me up _all night._ "

* * *

Author's note: Damn Blake, you're relentless.


	47. Massage Therapist

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty-Seven: Massage Therapist_

 _Bumblebee, Milk and Cereal_

* * *

Blake bowed her head, closing her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. Sweat trickled down her face, but she ignored the ticklish feeling in favor of focusing on her breathing. It seemed like she couldn't get air into her lungs fast enough, and blood pounded painfully in her head.

Opening her eyes, she looked up and glanced to her left, once more catching a girl staring at her. The girl looked away swiftly, pursing her lips together and whistling softly as she carried on cycling on the stationary bike.

Blake shook her head, ignoring the girl that she had caught checking her out at least twice. Focusing instead on her workout, she shook her head, feeling her ponytail tickle the back of her neck.

Bending over, she grabbed another forty-five pound plate, slapping it onto the side of her barbell. Moving to the other side, she repeated the motion, before taking a step back and staring at the bar with slight trepidation.

With a total weight of 315 pounds, it was a bit of an ego lift, but...

From the corner of her eye, and with some careful mirror trickery, she caught sight of the girl once more watching her curiously.

Feeling a burst of energy spike through her, she stepped up to the bar, crouching down and grasping it with a mixed grip. Inhaling deeply, she tightened her lower back, and pulled as hard as she could, driving her heels down into the ground as she began deadlifting the most weight she'd ever lifted.

As the weight began to lift, she pulled it close to her shins, focusing on proper form as her fingers cried out for relief. Ignoring the pain, she straightened, tightening her glutes as she neared lockout.

For a second it seemed as if it was just a bit too much, but glancing to her left, she saw the red-headed girl on the bike staring at her openly now.

With a deep growl slipping past her gritted teeth, she pushed her hips outward, locking out the lift and holding it for a moment before dropping the weight unceremoniously to the ground with an ear-ringing clang.

Putting her foot on the bar to keep it from rolling away, she bent over slightly as she felt her lower back screaming in protest. She was feeling light-headed from such exertion, and she took large, deep breaths in an attempt to get her breath back.

 _'That was so goddamn stupid.'_ She thought, wincing as her lower back began tightening up.

 _'Stupid ego lifts, showing off for cute girls, God-damnit.'_

But, she thought, staring at the bar on the ground, it _was_ her biggest one-rep maximum yet, and of that, she should be proud.

Straightening up, she reached up and pulled her hair out of her ponytail. Running her fingers through her hair, she made sure to turn her back to the girl on the bike so she could see her more... pronounced features.

Gathering her hair into a ponytail once more and making sure her ears were tucked safely against her skull, she swiftly tied her favourite, well-worn black ribbon around her hair, securing it against loosening in the future.

With a sigh, she looked down at the loaded up bar laying on the ground. The part she hated most about deadlifts was putting everything away once you were physically spent.

Slowly she bent over, wincing as her back fought her every step of the way. Popping off the lock-collars, she began pulling off plates, putting them back onto their appropriate racks.

"Would you like some help, there?"

Lost in thought, Blake jumped at the sound of a voice so close behind her. Straightening up, she whirled around, seeing the red-headed girl from the bike standing in front of her. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and a playful grin toyed at the edges of her mouth. Her long red hair was bound in a high ponytail, but it's long length was still obvious from the way it hung down to her mid back. She was wearing a black sleeveless loose fitting T-shirt over a tight white undershirt, and black yoga pants.

Her skin was tanned and flawless, aside from a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose, and her bright, vivid green eyes shone with a hidden mirth that seemed to make her whole body radiate friendliness.

Realizing that she was staring, Blake blinked, shaking her head a few times to clear her thoughts.

"Uh, er, no, that's fine, it's my mess, I don't mind cleaning it."

The girl waved off her protests, moving to the other side of the bar and squatting down.

"Nonsense, I'm happy to help." She said, easily removing the lock-collar and setting it aside before stripping the bar of weight.

Blake nodded dumbly, before copying her moments.

Within a minute, they had the weight all removed and the bar put back in the rack, and Blake leaned back against the wall with a tired sigh.

"Thanks for your help." Blake said, crossing her arms over her chest as she studied the girl.

A bright smile was her response. "No problem! I'm Pyrrha, by the way."

"Oh! Uh, Blake." Blake felt a light blush creeping up the back of her neck at her lame introduction, but the girl didn't seem to think anything of it as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other, pushing her hip out.

"It's nice to meet you." The girl said, offering her hand.

Blake uncrossed her arms and leaned forward to shake the girl's hand, wincing in pain as her tight lower back resisted the movement.

Instantly, Pyrrha's face was the picture of concern.

"Are you okay?" The girl asked, gently taking Blake's offered hand.

Blake laughed, shrugging.

"I'm fine." She lied, cursing her slightly sweaty palm against the warmth of Pyrrha's.

"It was my maxout lift, so, I'm a bit sore."

Pyrrha smiled, still holding onto Blake's hand. After a moment, she released it, and Blake watched from the corner of her eye to see if Pyrrha would wipe her hand off on her pantleg, her self-consciousness through the roof as she realized her clothes were soaked in sweat.

Pyrrha did nothing of the sort though, instead she reached into her bra and pulled out her phone.

"Well, if that's the case, would you like to trade numbers? I'm a professional massage therapist and I run a small business with one of my friends, if it's something you're interested in, I could get you feeling pretty good in no time."

Blake raised an eyebrow, the perfect picture of cool skepticism on the outside, but on the inside she was feeling a bit deflated.

 _'Of course, the first pretty girl to approach me is trying to sell me something.'_

Still, not wanting to appear rude, Blake merely nodded.

"Yeah, sure, I could probably find some time for that." She lied, having absolutely no intention of giving this girl her hard earned money.

"Great!" Pyrrha said, tilting her phone toward Blake. "This is my number."

Reluctantly, Blake pulled her phone out of her back pocket. Opening up her contact list, she typed in Pyrrha's name, then glanced at the girl's phone. Copying the numbers down into her own phone, she glanced at them once more to make sure she had gotten them correct.

As she did, a notification box popped up at the top of her screen, and Blake caught a glimpse of a text message from someone named 'Yangstarr'.

 _"The hell am I supposed to do now that he's admitted to cheating on me?"_

Eyes widening, Blake looked away from the obviously very private message. Keeping her eyes glued to the number, she looked at her own phone and then nodded.

"Okay, got it." She said, closing her phone and giving no indication that she had seen anything she shouldn't have as Pyrrha smiled happily at her.

"Great! If you don't feel any better tomorrow, just text or call me and I'll take care of you."

Blake nodded, glancing down at her phone as Pyrrha waved. Looking up, Blake waved in return, then Pyrrha took a small step back.

"Well, I won't hold up your workout anymore, it was nice to meet you Blake. Take care!"

"You too." Was all that Blake managed to say, before the girl spun around and walked off, humming softly to herself.

Glancing down at her phone, her thumb hovered over the 'Delete Contact?' button, but she hesitated as she felt a slight pain in her back.

Even if it _was_ a sales pitch, it certainly couldn't hurt to get a massage if it turned out she was a bit more sore than normal, right?

Plus, she could probably get a discount or something as opposed to going somewhere else as a first-time customer.

Sighing quietly, Blake closed her phone and began heading toward the changing rooms.

* * *

Pyrrha brushed a loose strand of hair from her face as she flopped down onto the couch, sighing loudly as she leaned her head back against the headrest. Shutting her eyes for a moment, she listened to the sound of Yang's younger sister rummaging through the cupboards in the kitchen.

"D'you want anything, Pyrrha?" Came the girl's voice from the kitchen.

Pyrrha shook her head slowly, then smirked to herself as she realized that it was a useless gesture.

"No thanks, Ruby." She called out, reaching up to rub at her face.

"Really? You don't want anything?" The girl asked, her voice slightly muffled now. If Pyrrha had to guess, it was because she was speaking around a mouthful of candy.

"Besides you? No, not really."

There was a loud thump from the kitchen, followed closely by a muffled cry of pain, and Pyrrha jumped up, vaulting over the back of the couch and dashing into the kitchen.

"Ruby!"

Pyrrha slid to a stop on the linoleum floor as her socked feet failed to find adequate traction, putting her hands on her hips as she stared down at the brunette on the floor. Ruby was currently sitting on the kitchen floor, clutching her knee and surrounded by a spilled packet of Oreos. There were tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and Pyrrha had to hold back laughter that threatened to burst forth, lest she hurt the younger girl's feelings.

"Ruby, what happened?"

The girl looked up at her, biting her lip as she shook her shoulder length brown hair out of her eyes.

"I slipped off the counter when I was trying to get the Oreos from the top shelf." She admitted, guilt lacing her tone as Pyrrha felt the corner of her mouth rising into an unstoppable smile.

"Aww." Pyrrha said softly, dropping carefully to her knees.

"Do you want me to kiss it better?" Pyrrha asked quietly, reaching out and tilting Ruby's chin up gently.

A dark blush spread across Ruby's cheeks, and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"No, I'm not a ch-"

She was cut off as Pyrrha leaned forward, pressing her lips softly against Ruby's. Ruby moaned quietly, and Pyrrha slid her hand to the back of Ruby's neck to pull her a bit closer.

When they pulled apart a moment later, Ruby had forgotten all about the pain in her knee as she stared up at Pyrrha with wide, silver eyes.

"C'mon, " Pyrrha stood, offering her hand down to Ruby. "Let's get this mess cleaned up and then go watch a movie. We still have a bit of time before Yang get's home."

Ruby nodded, before taking Pyrrha's hand and allowing herself to be pulled to her feet.

Together, they quickly swept up the mess in the kitchen, salvaging whatever Oreos hadn't fallen out of the pack.

Satisfied with their work, Pyrrha took Ruby's hand and lead her to the living room.

Settling on the couch, Pyrrha pulled Ruby down beside her, the younger girl nestling into her side with a contented sigh.

"What do you want to watch?"

Ruby shrugged. "Whatever you want to." She said.

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, reaching up to ruffle Ruby's hair.

"You always say that!"

Ruby shied away, glaring at Pyrrha as she patted at her hair in an attempt to fix it.

"I say it because I never care what we watch!"

Pyrrha shrugged, turning back to the television as she picked up the remote for the satellite.

"Fair enough." She replied, "Now we're watching the science channel."

Pyrrha felt rather than heard Ruby's sigh of resignation, and reached out to wrap her arm around Ruby's shoulders.

Ruby glanced at the front door, then looked at Pyrrha's phone sitting on the coffee table. Leaning forward, she pressed the button on it, and the screen lit up to reveal the time: 4:07.

"We still have fifteen minutes or so before Yang gets home." Pyrrha assured her.

Ruby nodded, then settled back against Pyrrha's side, reaching out to put her hand on Pyrrha's stomach. Instantly her fingers began tracing the muscles underneath, and Pyrrha tried her best to ignore the ticklish sensation in favor of watching the television.

It didn't last long, however, as Pyrrha's phone vibrated, signalling the arrival of a text message.

"Can you get that for me?" Pyrrha asked, unwilling to move and displace her girlfriend.

Ruby silently obliged, leaning forward and grabbing the device before settling back down against her.

Pyrrha unlocked her phone, clicking on the new text message. It was from an unknown number.

 _'Hi, it's Blake, from the gym. I was wondering when you'd be free next?'_

Ruby wrinkled her nose cutely, glancing at the message from the corner of her eye.

"Who's Blake?" She asked.

Pyrrha hummed softly, tapping in a response.

"A girl I met at the gym a few days ago, I watched her pull 315 without a belt, and figured I'd offer her our services in case she could make use of them."

Ruby was quiet for a moment, before glancing up at her girlfriend.

"Is she pretty?" She asked quietly.

Pyrrha chuckled softly, raising an eyebrow and looking sideways at the demure girl.

"Very."

"Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha laughed, hugging Ruby tightly to her side before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"She's pretty, for a girl who's not my type."

"That's not nice." Ruby mumbled.

Pyrrha was about to respond, when her phone went off again.

"Huh, damnit."

"What?"

"Tomorrow and the next day is my only available slot to schedule a massage and neither night works for her. Only other spot I have is next week."

"What's Yang's schedule like?" Ruby asked.

Pyrrha was about to respond, when the sound of footsteps approaching the front door reached her ears.

Like a shot, Ruby was gone, sliding over to the other side of the couch and leaving a few feet of space between them. As Pyrrha looked over to Ruby to blow her a kiss, the front door opened and a tall blonde girl entered, closing the door behind her and locking it.

"Perfect timing, Yang." Pyrrha said, turning to the blonde girl. Yang looked up, looking from Ruby, to Pyrrha, and back again before settling on Pyrrha.

"What's up?" She asked, kicking off her shoes.

Pyrrha held up her phone, waving it from side to side.

"I got us another customer from the gym, and my only available spot this week is tomorrow and the next day, and neither work for her. Can you take her tonight? Otherwise we're looking at moving her into next week."

Yang bit her lip, pulling out her phone and opening her calendar.

"I have an open six o'clock, and someone at seven, so if she can get here for six, I can do her tonight."

Pyrrha shrugged, looking down to her phone.

"I'll find out and let you know."

Yang nodded, throwing the girls a wave as she moved toward the kitchen.

"Keep me posted." She called, disappearing into the kitchen.

Ruby glanced over her shoulder until Yang was gone from sight, then looked back to Pyrrha to make a kissy motion back at her girlfriend.

Pyrrha stood, stretching as she raised her arms over her head. Yawning, she tucked her phone into her pocket before moving toward Ruby's end of the couch.

"I'm gonna go help Yang make supper." Pyrrha said, raising her gaze toward the kitchen.

Ruby nodded, reaching for the remote on Pyrrha's side of the couch.

"Let me know if you need any help." Ruby replied.

Pyrrha didn't answer, instead, she reached down and grabbed Ruby by the front of her shirt. Pulling the surprised girl up a bit, she leaned down and kissed the girl hard on the mouth, passing her tongue over Ruby's lips for good measure before releasing the girl.

Licking her lips, Pyrrha winked at the red-faced girl before disappearing into the kitchen.

* * *

Blake wasn't sure what she was getting herself into as she pulled into the driveway of the address she had been given. When she had tried to set up an appointment with the girl from the gym, the girl had proclaimed no availability, and then suggested that Blake schedule an appointment with her friend instead. Upon asking about payment, Pyrrha had told her that they only accepted cash.

If Blake had been a dude, she would have been certain that Pyrrha and her friend were into some weird, underground prostitution thing, because she had never once offered up a company name, shown a business card, or recommended a website for Blake to check out.

The whole thing felt weird to her, but the girl seemed genuine enough, and her lower back was killing her.

Plus, Pyrrha had offered her an hour long massage for sixty dollars, discounted from their regular eighty on account of the super short appointment notice.

Glancing up at the house once more, she put her car in park and shut off the engine. Picking up her phone, she quickly sent a text message to her best friend, telling her where she was and how long she expected to be here.

Pulling her keys out of the ignition, she hopped out of her car and took a deep breath before closing her door and starting up the driveway. Slipping her phone into her back pocket, she knocked on the front door a few times before letting her hand fall to her side.

A few seconds later, and the door opened to reveal a tall, beautiful blonde woman. The girl grinned at her, before stepping back and sweeping her hand toward the interior of her house.

"Welcome, hope you found the place okay. Come on in!"

Blake stepped cautiously into the house, moving to the side as the blonde girl shut the door behind her.

"My name is Yang, and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Pyrrha apologizes again for the switch-up, she's swamped with customers and figured this was the best solution to get you in as quickly as possible."

Blake nodded slowly, kicking off her shoes as she glanced around the house.

The front entrance was wide open, and lead into a large living room area. The carpet was a bright white that looked terrifyingly easy to stain, and the three leather couches that sat in a semi-circle around a large flat-screen television were a shiny, pristine black.

The walls were painted in a dark grey color scheme, offset by bright white ceilings.

"This is a beautiful house." Blake commented, returning her gaze to the smiling blonde in front of her.

"Thank you, that's kind of you to say." She responded, reaching up to fold her arms behind her head. "If you'd like, I'll show you to where we'll be working."

Blake nodded, following the blonde past the livng room to an adjacent hallway. They walked past a few closed doors, before reaching a closed one at the end of the hall.

"To the left is the bathroom, if you need it, otherwise, this room here is where we will be." Yang said, twisting the handle and pushing the door open.

Blake followed her into the room, her eyes slowly adjusting to the low level of light.

Yang moved over to a counter set against one wall, and pressed a button on a radio. Instantly, calming, barely audible music began playing, and Yang turned around to face her.

"What were you looking for today?" Yang asked, pushing away from the counter and stepping closer to Blake.

Instantly, Blake became self-conscious. She had never gotten a massage before, and wasn't sure of what to expect. Hesitantly, she tripped over her words.

"Uh, er, well, my lower back kinda hurts, like, all the muscles are really tight and stiff."

Yang nodded, stepping closer and reaching out to place her open palm on Blake's back. Even with her shirt separating skin to skin contact, Blake felt her embarrassment skyrocket.

"Somewhere around here?" Yang asked, tapping gently on her lower back. Blake nodded wordlessly.

"Okay, and how are your shoulders and neck?"

Blake shrugged, tilting her head from side to side experimentally.

"Sore, but it's like a worked out sore, not a strained sore." She said.

"Alright, so what I'm going to have you do, is lay face down on the table here. It's easier without your shirt on, but I'll let you choose whatever is most comfortable for you. I'll step out for a moment while you get comfortable under the sheet, and just call me in when you're ready."

Blake nodded, unsure of exactly how to feel about being told to take her shirt off. Yang smiled brightly at her, then pulled open the door just wide enough to step outside before closing it behind her.

Blake took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves before unloading her pockets, dumping her keys and phone on the counter on the other side of the room. Glancing at the table she was instructed to lie upon, her fingertips brushed against the hem of her shirt hesitantly.

It took a moment, but she made up her mind as she pulled her shirt off over her head. Looking around, she spotted a couple hooks on the back of the door. Hanging up her shirt, she self-consciously adjusted her bra before moving over to the table and pulling back the top-most light blanket. Underneath were soft, white sheets, and she crawled onto the table, situating herself face-down and pulling the blanket back up to her waist.

Just as she was about to call out for Yang, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Are you ready for me?"

Blake cleared her throat quietly before nodding.

"Y-yeah."

The door opened, and Yang stepped inside, shutting the door softly behind her. She reached up and pulled her messy mane of blonde hair into a ponytail, securing it with an elastic that she pulled off of her left wrist.

"It just occured to me that I haven't gotten your name." Yang said, moving toward the counter and picking up a small white bottle. Stepping over to Blake, she patted the donut-shaped face pad at the top of the table.

"Go ahead and relax for me."

Blake, who had propped herself up on her elbows, nodded once more and awkwardly laid down, positioning her face where it felt most comfortable in the face pad.

"My name is Blake." She said quietly, remembering that the blonde had inquired about it.

"Ah, what a pretty name! Nice to meet you, Blake!"

Blake heard the soft snapping of a bottle lid opening, and a second later heard the squishy sound of cream being spread around.

"Okay, so if it's alright with you, I'm gonna undo your bra-strap and get it out of the way. Is that alright?"

Blake felt her face burning as she nodded, and a second later Yang's soft fingers deftly unhooked her bra, laying the straps off to the side.

A second later, Yang's hands gently pressed on her lower back, poking and prodding her muscles as she got a feel for Blake's back.

"So the muscles you're feeling sore in are called your spinal erectors-" Blake involuntarily tensed up as Yang's hands slid from her mid-back nearly down to her butt, "-and are responsible for straightening and rotating your back. Pyrrha told me you were deadlifting, and without a belt, no less, so it's not surprising that you're feeling a bit tense here."

Yang's warm hands slid from her lower back up to her shoulders, gently massaging and caressing her.

"What I'm doing now is attempting to get you relaxed enough for me to really dig into the muscles and loosen up some of the knots I can feel, but you're incredibly tense."

Blake bit her lip as her back tensed up when Yang's hands slid down to her lower back, and a soft chuckle reached her ears.

"Yeah, just like that."

"Sorry." Blake mumbled.

"It's okay, it just means you'll take a bit more work." Yang said cheerfully.

Blake was silent, focusing on the feeling of Yang's hands cavorting up and down her body. She had no problem when Yang was working around her neck and traps, but as soon as her hands slid down to her lower back, it was like her body froze up, unwilling to relax.

"Okay, I'm going to start on your lower back because that's obviously where you need the most work, and you tell me if you want it harder or softer, okay?"

"Okay." Blake murmured softly.

Yang gently hooked her fingers into the waistband of Blake's grey sweatpants, tugging them down a few inches to expose the top half of Blake's buttocks.

"Just try to relax." Was the last thing Blake heard before Yang dug her fingers into Blake's lower back just above her ass.

Blake's head jerked up at the sudden pain, and couldn't stop from uttering a soft curse, garnering a giggle from Yang.

"It's going to hurt, but it's for the best." Yang said, unable to hide the laughter in her voice.

Blake grumbled softly to herself, before laying back down, staring at the floor in an attempt to separate herself from the feeling of Yang grinding her fingers into her back.

"The spinal erectors continue down to the top of your gluteus maximus-" Blake felt Yang's fingers creep a bit lower, digging into the side of her left butt cheek with force.

"-Just so you don't think I'm trying to cop a feel, or anything." Yang joked.

Blake groaned, biting her lip to avoid cussing out Yang as sharp pain lanced through the left side of her body.

"Call me names, if it helps, I've heard it all before." Yang said, continuing her ministrations as Blake ground her teeth together.

Blake shook her head, holding her breath as Yang held steady pressure on her sore muscle.

It seemed like forever, but when Yang finally let up, Blake let out the breath she had been holding, earning a laugh from Yang.

"Most of the knots and tightness I can feel are all along your left side, deep in your glutes and lower back, did you have an accident or major sprain or something?"

Blake shrugged as best she could, feeling herself slowly relax as Yang's hands left her butt to slide up the left side of her back, toward her lats.

"A couple years ago, yeah."

"Well, any information you can shed on the type of injury, duration, and treatment received, if any, will help me along as I try to fix you."

Blake was silent, thinking back to the incident a few years ago.

"It's a long story." She allowed, sighing contentedly as Yang's fingers worked the stress out of her shoulders.

Yang hummed understandingly.

"Well, maybe you can tell it to me sometime during one of our future visits."

Blake attempted to raise her head, but Yang gently pressed down on her neck, keeping her still. Gently, her hands massaged the muscles along her neck and shoulders, and Blake let the tension bleed from her shoulders.

"Future visits?"

"While I cannot make you come back, I would highly recommend a few more visits at least to ensure that I've worked out the multitude of kinks and knots that you've accumulated."

Blake hummed quietly.

"And perhaps you stop trying to show off for guys at the gym." Yang said, fingers tickling her side for emphasis.

"I wasn't-!"

"You weren't what?" Yang asked, kneading her fingers deep into Blake's shoulders.

"... Nothing." Blake grumbled.

"Aww, come on, you can tell me." Yang cajoled. "I'm a medical professional, after all, I'm sworn to client-doctor secrecy."

Blake hesitated a moment, before begrudgingly answering Yang.

"I wasn't showing off for guys."

Yang hummed softly, sliding her thumbs up the centre of Blake's neck toward her hairline as her fingers gently pressed down into her traps.

"Care to elaborate, then?"

Blake shook her head a bit.

"No."

Yang shrugged, releasing pressure on Blake's traps to rub small circles on each side of her neck just below her ears.

"Suit yourself." Yang said cheerily.

Blake was silent for a few moments, eyes closed as she enjoyed the gentle ministrations on the left side of her tired body.

It only seemed to last a few minutes however, as Yang slid over to her right side.

"Unfortunately, I've got to repeat all that painful stuff on your right side, starting with your gluteus maximus, moving up through your spinal erectors, and into your lats and shoulders. This side doesn't seem to be holding as much stress and tension as your left side though, so hopefully it won't be so bad."

Blake hummed her understanding, and when Yang went to work, she was mildly surprised at just how much it didn't hurt.

"You're barely tensing up at all on this side." Yang remarked, digging her fingers into Blake's right buttock. "It's amazing how much you seem to favor your left side."

Blake sighed in relief, pleased that this side wouldn't be a repeat of the torture she had endured the first time around.

This time, she got to enjoy the feeling of Yang's skilled hands sliding up and down her body, coaxing her muscles into relaxation as she worked the pain and tension from them.

It was some time later, and Blake was beginning to doze off, when she heard Yang's quiet voice break the silence.

"How do you feel about peppermint?"

"Love it." Blake whispered, reveling in the rare moment of blissful relaxation.

"Great."

Yang's hands left her back for a moment, and when they returned, the sharp scent of peppermint reached Blake's nose.

Slowly, Yang's hands began cavorting up and down Blake's back, no longer attempting to beat her muscles into submission, rather, this time gently rubbing at her in a slow, soothing pattern.

Blake inhaled deeply, the scent of peppermint calming her further than she thought possible, and she sighed in contentment as a cool sensation from the peppermint oil saturated her skin.

"Oh God... "

Yang chuckled, and Blake's eyes shot open, heat rising to her cheeks as she realized she had just moaned out loud.

"S-sorry!"

Yang laughed again, not stopping her ministrations as her hands slid lower, caressing Blake's firm cheeks and gently pressing her thumbs into her back dimples.

"Like I said, I've heard worse."

Silence filled the air once again, and just as Blake was beginning to feel an unfamiliar stirring in her stomach as Yang gently massaged her hips, Yang's hands left her to travel back up to her neck.

Yang's thumbs gently pressed into her skin along her spine from the base of her neck to her hairline, fingers wrapping around her neck to gently caress her throat. Never before had Blake felt such a delicate strength toying with her in such a vulnerable way, and she had to bite her lip quite hard to suppress the moan that was forming in her throat.

Yang's hands slid from her neck down to her shoulders, where she gave Blake one last gentle squeeze before patting her gently.

"All done." She said quietly. Blake made no attempt to get up, instead deciding that laying there until the heat disappeared from her cheeks would be a good idea.

Suddenly, Yang was down by Blake's feet, and Blake felt Yang's hands grab her ankles, even as the thin blanket separated them.

"Do you often cross your legs?" Yang asked.

"All the time." Blake responded.

Yang made a soft 'tsk' sound, and Blake felt Yang gently lift her leg and uncross them.

"You should stop that, immediately. It's so bad for your back."

"Oh, really?" Blake asked, a hint of surprise creeping into her voice.

"Yeah, I'd like to see you make a conscious effort to stop, you should notice a marked improvement in your lower back pain and tightness shortly after you do."

"Okay, I'll try to do that."

"Great!" Yang said, releasing her grip on Blake's ankles. "Now, I'm gonna step outside, take your time, and come on out whenever you're ready."

Blake was about to respond, when the sound of an opening door reached her ears.

When the door closed, Blake took a deep breath, inhaling the tantalizing scent of peppermint as she summoned the energy to move.

But damnit, she was so comfortable...

Already, she missed the feeling of Yang's hands on her back.

Cursing softly to herself, embarrassment flooding through her at such a ridiculous thought, she pushed herself up and rehooked her bra strap, adjusting it comfortably before sliding off the table.

Reaching out, she plucked her shirt off the hook on the back of the door and pulled it over her head.

Smoothing it out, she placed her phone and keys back into her pockets before grabbing silver door handle and giving it a twist.

Stepping outside into the bright hallway after being in near-darkness for an hour made her squint as her eyes adjusted to the brightness level, but it didn't take long before she was fully acclimated to the bright lights of the hallway.

Walking to the end of the hallway, she glanced to her left and saw the large living room from before, and she quickly spotted Yang lounging on one of the expensive looking couches.

Moving toward the living room, Yang must have heard her approach, for the blonde beauty looked up from the television, grinning when she spotted Blake.

"How are you feeling?"

Blake tilted her head to the side, then nodded.

"Feel a little looser than before." She replied.

Yang grinned wickedly. "Oh, just wait until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"I kinda went to town on your lower back working on those knots, so don't be alarmed if you wake up tomorrow a bit stiff and sore, and with bruises. It'll fade as the day goes on, and you should feel better after moving around a bit."

Blake nodded. "Noted."

"Well, that's it, then." Yang said. "If you were happy with your massage, feel free to book another, we'd be happy to accommodate you."

Blake nodded, sensing that this was the point in time where she offered to pay. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew a handful of bills. Rifling through them, she peeled out seventy dollars, and held it out to Yang.

Yang accepted, swiftly leafing through them as she double counted.

"Hey, we only charged sixty this time." Yang said, attempting to hand back a ten dollar bill, but Blake shook her head.

"It's not much but I feel a gratuity is in order." Blake replied.

"Oh. Well, thanks!" Yang said happily, stuffing the money into her pocket.

Blake nodded, then moved toward the front door and kicked into her shoes.

"Thanks again." Blake said, rolling her shoulders experimentally as her shirt lightly clung to her peppermint scented skin.

Yang grinned widely. "Any time. Drive safe, hope we see you again."

With a wave, Blake left, skipping down the stairs and moving lightly to her car. Despite Yang's warning of pain tomorrow morning, she felt great right now, and as she sunk down into her car, she leaned her head back against the headrest as she jammed her keys into the ignition and started it.

As relaxed as she felt now, she thought, it was still mortifying to realize that a complete stranger had managed to turn her on with a massage.

Cursing her luck, she shook her head as she backed out of the wide driveway onto the street.

Despite her best attempts to the contrary, thoughts of that tall, confident blonde filled her head the entire drive home.

* * *

Author's note: Bit of a long one, but not necessarily finished. Hope you enjoyed! Part 1 of ?


	48. Shadow Clone Shenanigans

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty-Eight: Shadowclone Shenanigans_

 _Bumblebee_

* * *

"Well, today was about as difficult as it could be, all things considered." Yang spoke quietly as she rubbed at her bruised knuckles. Her aura had worn thin, and her favored method of hunting Grimm had started to take it's toll on her.

Blake, sitting beside Yang a few feet from a dying fire, nodded quietly. Picking up a cloth from her lap, she wiped carefully at the blade of Gambol Shroud. Grimm didn't really bleed per se, so she wasn't worried about her Menegerian steel rusting. However, aside from the rest of her team, Gambol was about the most trusted friend she'd ever had. To see it covered in dust and grime from the day's fighting never sat well with her, so she made a point to tidy up her weapon as often as it took to keep it looking clean.

She just wasn't as obtuse as Ruby was about it.

"How'd you fare?" Yang asked, glancing over tiredly at her partner as she reclined against the rough trunk of a tree.

Blake glanced at Yang beside her, then shrugged as she returned her attention to her weapon.

"Without a scratch." Was her modest reply. With a surreptitious glance at Yang's reddened knuckles, Blake smirked.

"How about you?"

Yang crossed her arms over her chest, hiding her hands as she tilted her head back to look up to the stars above.

"Pretty much the same." Yang declared, shaking her head to displace the bangs that had fallen into her face.

"I wonder how your sister and Weiss are doing." Blake said softly, sheathing her weapon and laying it down carefully by her side.

From beside her, Yang hummed quietly, a non-committal response. Glancing up, Blake raised an eyebrow as she saw Yang relaxing with her eyes closed, arms still folded across her chest.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Blake pulled out her scroll and opened it up. Reaching up with one hand, she ran her fingers through her bangs, pushing them back as she contemplated a hair cut.

If she let it grow any longer, she'd look like Yang, hair wild and unruly.

Thumbing through her contacts, she stopped when she reached Weiss' name. Clicking on it, she brought up her text messaging history, which was quite sparse.

 _'How did you and Ruby make out?'_

Pressing 'Send', she closed her scroll and put it into her pocket once more. She didn't expect a reply right away. If their day was anything like her own, they very well could still be fighting.

Pulling her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her knees as she glanced around the darkening forest. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon a few minutes ago, and twilight was setting in. The sky was lit up in a brilliant display of reds and oranges over to the west, while to the east, the sky was already quite dark.

WIth the sun gone, whatever sunlight that scattered throughout the atmosphere didn't make it to the ground, and the surrounding forest was quickly becoming impenetrable to all but the sharpest of Faunus gazes.

Luckily, Blake thought, her golden irises shrinking as her pupils expanded, there was enough light cast by the dying fire for her to see quite a bit still.

At that thought, her attention was pulled to said dying fire. It was burning quite low now, and a quick survey of their stockpile showed that they hadn't gathered nearly enough wood to sustain the fire until morning.

Blake clucked her tongue softly as she willed her tired body into motion.

"Yang, we should go gr-"

Blake stopped herself as she glanced at Yang, seeing the girl peacefully dozing against the trunk of the tree.

Tilting her head to the side, she studied the girl for a moment.

The girl was stunning, there was no doubt about that. With her long unruly hair making the only statement you needed to know about her, it was incredibly obvious that Yang was very much a "what you see is what you get" type of girl.

Yet, that didn't make her shallow or one dimensional. While she tended to wear her heart on her sleeve and have no problem freely expressing the wide range of emotions she felt, there were parts of her that were easily overlooked if you weren't willing to spend the time to pay close attention.

Blake paid very close attention.

From the way Yang scrunched up her nose ever so cutely when presented with a situation that didn't immediately beget a "Hell yeah!", or "Hell no!" reaction, to the way she would self-consciously rub her wrists when unarmed, even in their dorm rooms, there weren't many details of Yang that went unnoticed by Blake.

Blake sighed quietly to herself as she stood. Reaching up toward the sky, she lithely stretched out her muscles before yawning and dropping her arms to her sides.

She didn't want to wake the girl, but there was no way she was going to leave her unguarded here alone.

A few ideas flitted through her mind before she settled on one. Bending down, she picked up her weapon. It's worn handle fit comfortably in her hands, and she barely noticed it's weight as she closed her eyes, concentrating on what bits of her aura remained.

Taking a deep breath, Blake summoned her aura, focusing and shaping it into a perfect clone of herself.

Opening her eyes, Blake grinned at the carbon copy of herself standing in front of her. It was a daunting aura drain when not accompanied by the adrenaline rush that was fueled by a fight, but one look at Yang, and Blake knew without a doubt that it was worth it.

"Watch over her while I'm gone." Blake whispered, handing her weapon to her clone.

The clone accepted the weapon, nodding in affirmation.

With that, Blake stepped backward, melting into the darkness even as she kept her fierce golden gaze firmly on her dwindling partner and clone.

The last glimpse she got before she turned around was of her clone glancing down at Yang, her determined features softening into an expression of intense affection. Her clone's bow twitched as her ears tried to swivel toward Yang to catch the faint sound of Yang's light breathing, tilting her head to the right as she gazed down at the sleeping blonde.

Blake's heart skipped a beat as she slipped between trees, light on her feet and silent like the night.

There was no way she looked at Yang like that... was there?

Blake swallowed nervously as she delved deeper into the clearing, looking for fallen trees that would produce easy to reach, dry tinder.

At least, not so openly, of that she sure. Her cloning capabilities must be weak with the energy she'd expended today.

She scoffed as she slowed, eyes falling to the ground.

Even to her own ears, that sounded like a stupid excuse. She'd spent enough time practicing her shadow-cloning abilities. They were perfect replicas of her, with not even Weiss or Ruby able to tell the difference most times.

Coming to a stop near a tree that had been ripped out of the ground at some point in the past, laying on it's side and slowly decaying, Blake fell to her knees near the base, picking up small twigs and dried out branches to use as kindling in case the fire went out.

What she really needed was larger logs though, as kindling would burn fast and not last very long.

She bit her lip as she realized it was a bit short-sighted to leave her weapon behind; her blade would have been useless at cutting through the thick timber, true, but sheath had a sharp, toothed edge that could crunch and cut through bone if given enough strength to the swing.

Although, she thought, reaching down and wrenching off a larger branch with her bare hands, the safety of Yang was paramount over her firewood gathering convenience.

Yang...

She knew her shadow-clone was more than capable of protecting the girl. Her clones were no longer the weak, unintelligent things she used to create when she was first getting used to her semblance. No, now they were fully capable, reactive, sentient creatures who needed very little mental oversight to keep functioning. They could function as additional sets of eyes and ears if she so wished, or she could block them out and leave them to their own devices if she needed her full concentration on a task.

They would only bother her if something threatened their safety, opening up a link between their minds and showing her what they saw and heard.

Yang was in good hands. Her hands.

With thoughts of her blonde-haired partner romping through her mind, she delved deeper into the darkened forest.

* * *

Yang awoke slowly, the feeling of gentle hands on her shoulders rousing her from her light sleep. Opening her eyes, she winced at the pain in her neck and back from passing out leaning against the cold, hard tree, before settling her lilac gaze on Blake's beautiful face.

"Hiya." Yang said softly. Blake smiled, and continued tucking the blanket she had pulled out her rucksack over Yang's shoulders.

"Sorry for waking you." Blake said quietly. Yang uncrossed her arms, and wrapped the blanket tighter around her body.

"It's okay, I didn't want to fall asleep there anyway." Yang replied. She tilted her head back, keeping her eyes locked on her partner as Blake stood, putting her hands on her hips and looking out toward the forest. Her ears twitched as a gentle breeze carried a plethora of minute sounds to her, and in an instant she deciphered them and wrote them all off as harmless.

A small creature foraging through the undergrowth.

The rustle of wings as two small blue birds hopped from branch to branch.

It seemed like it would be a quiet night.

"Why don't we set up our tent and arrange more suitable sleeping quarters?" Blake asked, turning back to Yang and looking down at her with a soft, mysterious expression.

Yang blinked, temporarily at a loss for words at the unrecognizable expression on her partner's face. Her eyebrows weren't furrowed over harsh, golden eyes, her mouth wasn't set in a grim line of determination, and her body posture indicated a far more relaxed Faunus than Yang would have thought possible.

For a moment, they were both silent, Blake awaiting Yang's response, and Yang trying her best to memorize this side of Blake she had never seen before.

Blake's eyebrows were soft over wide, beautifully molten gold eyes, no hint of frustration or impatience creasing her forehead. Even the impassiveness that Yang had come to know and expect was absent, replaced instead with a warm half-smile that seemed to reach Blake's eyes, causing them to shine brighter than Yang could have ever imagined in the darkness of the forest.

It was then that Blake raised one slender eyebrow, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly as if to coax a response from Yang.

Yang started, blinking furiously as she realized that Blake had asked her a question, and was patiently awaiting an answer.

Thankful that the darkness covered the heat rising in her cheeks, Yang jumped up, nodding furiously.

"Y-yeah! That's a good idea." Yang raised a hand to her forehead and sighed, brushing back her unruly hair.

Blake took no notice however, having already turned around and made her way to where they had discarded their packs earlier in their haste to sit down.

Yang followed in her footsteps, eager to assist as Blake began pulling their quick-set tent from their pack.

It took only a minute between the two of them working together, having assembled the tent more times than they'd have liked to admit while out in the field. Most of their search-and-destroy trips lasted more than one night, and while sleeping under the stars sounded fantastic, the Beacon-supplied quick-set tents were a world better. They were well insulated for how light they were, set up in only a minute or two with a skilled hand, and were double walled to minimize sound and scent release, so as to reduce the chances that a Grimm would discover them in the middle of the night.

Once the tent was erected, Yang took a step back to admire her handiwork. The tent was a few feet away from the fire, close enough for warmth and to be bathed in light, but far enough away that it wouldn't be considered a fire hazard.

"Turns out we make a good team for things other than slaying Grimm, Blake!" Yang held her hand out, palm up toward Blake.

Blake glanced at her, studying her for a moment and saying nothing. Yang grinned, arm beginning to waver as she stared at Blake.

"C'mon, you're not gonna leave me hanging, are ya?"

Blake blinked slowly, once, then twice, before slowly reaching up and gently pressing her palm against Yang's.

Yang burst into laughter at that, dropping her hand to her side as she moved toward the tent.

"Hey, throw in all the blankets, will ya? We gotta make this thing suuuuper cozy!"

Blake nodded wordlessly before returning to their packs a few feet away. Bending over at the waist, she rummaged through both of their packs, coming up with an additional two thin blankets.

"There's only two." Blake said quietly, her voice softer than silk and deceptively seductive.

Yang poked her head out, blinking owlishly in the darkness until she caught a shimmer of Blake's eyes as the girl turned toward her.

"Hey, those two plus the one you put on me earlier, it's better than nothing. Come on in!"

With that, the blonde's head popped back inside the tent, the flap making the barest of rustles as it closed.

Blake followed the blonde inside the tent, the temperature already a few degrees warmer as Yang enthusiastically moved around, spreading out small pillows and laying out the blanket she had been covered with earlier.

"Hell yeah, this beats sleeping on the forest floor by a country mile!" Yang exclaimed, flopping down and stretching out lazily.

Blake's golden gaze dropped to Yang's bare midriff, exposed as she lifted her arms over her head.

"Are you sleeping clothed?" Blake asked.

Yang looked at her, a peculiar expression on her face for a moment as she tried to figure out what was wrong with Blake.

"Er... not all of them." Yang eventually answered, unable to figure out what seemed so off about Blake.

Blake nodded, reaching up to run her hands through her hair. As she did, she ditched the ribbon, allowing it to fall to the ground as she set her ears free.

"Get undressed and get comfortable, I'll return in a second." Blake ordered, not waiting for a response as she left the tent. She had forgotten Gambol Shroud on the ground next to their rucksacks when she had been foraging for blankets, and with her one goal of protecting Yang in her mind, she made short work of retrieving it.

As she popped her head back into the tent, she froze. Golden eyes widened as she took in the sight of Yang, half naked, and for a moment she couldn't move. She had been created with an identical set of the original Blake's thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and this was definitely messing with all three of those.

"You okay, Blake?" Yang asked, dropping her shirt to the floor next to her discarded pants. Only a lacy black pair of panties and a white compression wrap over her chest protected her from Blake's lecherous gaze, yet she didn't feel the slightest bit self conscious as she laid down and pulled the blankets over body, still looking at Blake with a quizzical expression.

"Helloooo, Blake, did you leave Remnant?"

Blake's eyes widened suddenly, and she shook her head in an attempt to discard the thoughts running through her mind.

"Uh, sorry, just spaced for a second."

Even flustered, her voice was low and borderline sensually seductive, and Yang had to put it out of her head as she nestled down into the blankets.

"Hurry, before it gets cold." Yang said, patting the space beside her in an open invitation to Blake.

Blake entered the tent fully, sealing the entrance carefully to minimize heatloss before silently stepping over to Yang. Yang smiled up at her, pulling back the edge of her blanket invitingly.

Still fully clothed, Blake fell to her knees. Sliding under the blanket, she pulled it up to her chin before turning onto her side to face Yang.

Iridescent lilac met rich, dark gold and Yang's smile grew a bit wider.

"Did Ruby or Weiss reply yet?" Yang asked curiously, unable to tear her eyes away from Blake.

Blake rummaged through her pocket for a moment, before shrugging.

"I don't have my scroll."

Yang raised an eyebrow, slight concern crossing her features.

"Did you lose it?"

Blake was silent for a moment, then shook her head.

"No."

Yang's other eyebrow rose to join the first, nearly disappearing into her hairline as she tried to coax further information out of Blake.

"Care to elaborate?"

Again, a deliberate moment of silence as Blake regarded her carefully.

"... No."

Yang sighed, reaching up to brush her hair from her face.

"That's my Blake, " Yang muttered, "Ever the enigmatic mystery."

Blake's eye twitched, and she bit her lip.

"What?" Yang asked, catching the minute reaction.

"It's... nothing."

Yang scoffed, sliding closer and shrinking the inches that separated them.

"Please. With you, it's never nothing. Tell me."

Blake licked her bottom lip, her soft, pink tongue catching Yang's attention and drawing her stare.

"It's just... the word 'mystery' is a synonym for 'enigma'." She said quietly.

"To call me an enigmatic mystery, it's... redundant."

Yang choked back a laugh at that, barely succeeding as an undignified snort escaped her.

"Well, pardon me, Ms. Bellabookworm, I was never one for much word learning."

Blake smiled demurely, reaching out to put her hand on Yang's shoulder as she inched closer to Yang, further shrinking the distance between them. By now they were almost touching, the temperature rapidly rising beneath the blankets.

"You know, " Blake whispered quietly, her hand leaving Yang's shoulder to trail gently down her back. She wrapped her arm around her partner's waist and pulled her close until there was no more space left between them and their noses were touching. "That's not all I've read about."

Yang opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Temporarily at a loss for words, all Yang could muster was a soft, "Uhh... "

Blake giggled, nuzzling her nose against Yang's.

"You're so cute when you're flustered."

"Blake, what're you-"

"Shh." Blake pressed her lips against Yangs, slowly at first, then with more force as it seemed that Yang wasn't pushing her away. Tangling her fingers in Yang's hair, she pulled the blonde to her as she kissed her hard on the mouth, laying down on her back and tugging Yang on top of her.

Yang responded in kind, leaning forward and climbing onto Blake. She straddled her waist as her hands found Blake's wrists, pinning the girl to the floor as the blankets fell to their waists.

Feeling the tightening of Yang's grip around her wrists, Blake moaned softly, pushing her hips up against Yang.

Yang groaned quietly, breaking the kiss long enough to gently catch Blake's bottom lip between her teeth, giving her a gentle bite before sliding the tip of her tongue across Blake's lip.

"What brought this on?" Yang asked, taking a second to catch her breath after the passionate kiss as she stared down at the raven-haired beauty sprawled out beneath her.

"Yes, what indeed?" Came a bemused voice from behind Yang.

Yang's pulse skyrocketed at the sound of someone behind her, and she leapt off Blake, spinning around to see who the intruder was.

"Blake! Gah! What-!"

Yang glanced wide eyed from the girl crouching at the entrance to the tent, to the same girl still laying on her back beside her.

"What the hell- " Yang looked from one to the other for a second, before recognition dawned in her eyes.

"When did you summon a clone?" Yang asked, embarrassment streaking through her body and setting her cheeks alight as a heat rose from the back of her neck to the tips of her ears.

"When you were sleeping earlier; so you'd be watched over." Blake crawled deeper into the tent, closing the flap behind her.

"Looks like she took it upon herself to take _really_ good care of you."

Yang raised her hands to her face, groaning in embarrassment at Blake's suggestive tone.

"Why didn't you stop her?" Yang whined. "Where the hell were you, anyway?"

Blake shrugged. "I was out getting firewood so the fire wouldn't die tonight. I wasn't paying attention to her. Imagine my surprise when I came back to find you taking advantage of her."

Yang dropped her hands into her lap, fixing Blake with a glare.

Well, she attempted to at least. The mortification made it hard to school her features into an effective glare.

"I did NOT take advantage of you-her- whatever!"

At this, Blake laughed.

"Well, no matter. I'm back now, so try to keep your hands to yourself, hmm?"

Yang scoffed, turning away from Blake and laying back down.

"Both of you suck." She mumbled.

Behind her, both Blakes laughed quietly.

It was an odd sound, Yang thought, to say the least.

* * *

Omake: You know exactly where this is going. Don't look at me like that. Foolishness ahead, read at your own risk.

* * *

"Aww, c'mon Yang, don't be like that." Blake slid over from the doorway, laying on the ground on Yang's left side and stretching out. With Blake's clone laying on Yang's right, Yang rolled onto her back and folded her arms behind her back in an attempt to give the both of them the silent treatment.

"Whatever." Yang muttered, mildly upset at what had just happened.

Blake sat up, glancing at her clone as an idea began taking shape in her mind. If Yang really was attracted to her, then...

Smirking, Blake's clone pushed herself up onto her knees, closing the distance to Yang's other side. Reaching up, she made quick work of her bow, catching Yang's attention as she discarded the ribbon.

Winking at Yang, the clone pursed her lips and blew Yang a kiss before reaching over and grabbing Blake by the front of her shirt.

Yang's eyes nearly doubled in size as Blake and her clone pressed their lips together in a heated kiss, each on either side of Yang and leaning over her as they wrapped their arms around each other.

"Blake what the hell are you doing?"

Blake broke the kiss long enough to glance sideways at Yang, licking her lips slowly as she reached up to remove her own bow.

"Yang... shut up and enjoy."

Turning back to her clone, Blake gave her one last slow, seductive kiss before pulling away and looking at Yang. Leaning down, her clone mirrored her movements as they each laid down on either side of Yang. The blonde was too stunned to do anything other than look back and forth between them, her jaw slack and lips slightly parted in surprise.

"I'm a little jealous that she got to kiss you and I didn't." Blake whispered in her ear, reaching down to rub small circles on Yang's stomach as she gently nipped Yang's earlobe.

Yang hissed quietly at the sudden pain, the nip a bit sharper than she had anticipated. Yang tilted her head to the left, but all that served to do was expose the right side of her neck. Blake's shadowclone seemed to be a bit more aggressive, taking advantage of Yang's exposed throat to lick and suck at her exposed skin. When Yang reached up to run her hands through the clone's hair, she responded by reaching down and dragging her nails up Yang's inner thigh.

Two pairs of soft, velvety cat ears twitched in unison at the sound of Yang's breathy moan, and Blake let her hand drift a bit lower, fingers tickling Yang's navel until they encountered the soft stretchy fabric of Yang's panties.

Sneaking the tips of her fingers under Yang's panties, she applied light pressure to the blonde's navel as she slid her fingers further downward. Yang's hips bucked up toward Blake's fingers, wanting her to explore a bit lower and with more pressure, but Blake slowly withdrew her hand, grinning as Yang bit her bottom lip in frustration.

"Not so fast, Yang." Blake teased, leaning down and capturing Yang's lips with her own. The kiss was much softer than the kiss with the other Blake, Yang had the presence of mind to note, and she nearly lost herself in the sweet taste of Blake's lips.

In contrast to Blake's soft, sensual teasing touches, other Blake, as Yang had come to think of her, was rough and quite forward. Now, other Blake reached up and grabbed the edge of her compression wrapping. Before Yang could free herself from Blake to protest, other Blake roughly tore it open, exposing her chest to the cool air.

It wasn't cold for long though, as one hand came down on her left breast, while other Blake's mouth descended on her right. Yang's surprised moan at the sudden contact was muffled by Blake's lips, and Blake took that opportunity to force her tongue into Yang's mouth, deepening the kiss.

Yang reached up with her left hand to caress Blake's backside, something she'd wanted to do for a long time. Now, she shamelessly groped it, squeezing Blake's ass and making Blake giggle softly as she pulled away from the kiss.

"I know you've been eyeing that up for a while." Blake murmured, her golden eyes shining in the darkness of the tent.

"N-no... not really... " Yang muttered, turning her head to the side to avoid Blake's amused stare. Contrary to her objections however, she didn't release her grip on Blake's ass.

"Yang, don't worry, it's fine. I like it."

Yang opened her mouth to respond, but her breath caught in her throat and the words died on her tongue as other Blake slid a hand down between her legs, cupping her firmly and gently pressing against her clit with her thumb.

Yang moaned loudly at the unexpected contact, Blake's name escaping her lips as she spread her legs a bit further.

Other Blake, encouraged by the positive reaction, hooked her fingers into the lacy waistband of Yang's panties. Tugging them down over Yang's smooth, toned thighs, they were tossed aside without a second thought as other Blake hungrily pushed Yang's legs apart. Laying down between Yang's legs, she began slowly kissing her way up the inside of Yang's thighs. As she got closer to her goal, she slowed, trading some of her kisses for gentle bites and long, wet licks.

"Hnnngh, oh God Blake, please don't tease me... "

Blake smirked at that, leaning down to silence Yang with another kiss. Pushing her tongue into Yang's mouth, she savoured the taste of Yang even as her hand crept down between Yang's legs.

Yang was soaked now, Blake's fingertips encountering warm, wet folds. Sliding her middle finger up and down Yang's pussy, she teased the girl relentlessly before sliding up to swirl small circles around her clit as other Blake slid her hot tongue up between Yang's legs.

Blake felt Yang's whole body go stiff underneath her, and she pulled away from Yang to allow the girl to catch her breath.

Immediately Yang reached up, grabbing a fistful of Blake's hair and pulling her back down. Kissing Blake's throat, Yang ravaged the girl as she clawed at her clothes, desperate to get Blake into a similar state of nakedness.

Realizing what it was that Yang wanted, Blake began pulling off her own clothes, her own arousal beginning to dominate her actions as she stripped herself naked.

Whatever shame or embarrassment Blake might have had at the thought of Yang seeing her naked disappeared when Yang laid eyes on her, adoration and desire dominating her features before she pulled the girl against her once more.

Grabbing Blake's hips, Yang pulled the girl on top of her until Blake was straddling her, sitting on her stomach. Pulling her down once more, Yang locked lips with her even as her hands ran through her long black locks, tugging gently on her hair and eliciting a moan from the cat-eared girl.

Yang's hands found Blake's supple breasts next, gently squeezing her slightly smaller chest as Blake pushed herself against Yang's hands. Yang took the hint, increasing the pressure, and Blake moaned appreciatively as she reached up to place her hands over Yang's intertwining their fingers.

Feeling somewhat left out, other Blake pouted cutely for a minute, her ears laying flat against her head and brushing ticklishly against Yang's thighs. Taking one last slow lick up between Yang's legs to savour the taste of her, other Blake slowly pushed her index finger into Yang, baring her teeth as she grinned when Yang cried out at the unexpected feeling.

Sliding her finger in and out of Yang until it was slick with her arousal, she added another finger and slowly pushed into Yang until she was up to her knuckles. Curling her fingers up toward Yang's belly button, she began thrusting in and out steadily, using her other hand to hold Yang's left leg down and keep her legs spread. Leaning down, she flicked her tongue over Yang's clit as she pumped her fingers in and out of the gasping huntress.

Slowly Yang's soft moans grew into loud, passionate cries of pleasure. Not wanting to be left out of Yang's imminent release, Blake detached herself from Yang and slid down to her hips. With other Blake rapidly pumping her fingers in and out of Yang in time to her short, frantic breaths, Blake leaned down and flicked her tongue across Yang's clit, eager to please the huntress and help bring her over the edge.

With the sight of twin beautiful Blakes looking up at her from between her legs with those enticing, alluring golden eyes, it didn't take long for Yang to reach her peak, falling silent as her body tensed up. Sensing Yang's impending release, both Blakes made sure to keep up a steady pace of licking and fingering, Blake reaching up to massage Yang's breast a bit before dragging her fingernails down her stomach, leaving four red lines from her chest down to her navel as her fingers cut through the sheen of sweat coating her body.

With one final impassioned cry, every muscle in Yang's body tightened up, other Blake humming appreciatively as Yang tightened around her fingers. As Yang came, she reached down to run her fingers through each Blake's hair as they hungrily licked at her soaked core, lapping up every drop their soft, warm pink tongues could reach.

It took a few minutes for Yang's breathing to return to normal, her rosy cheeks just barely beginning to return to their normal color. Slowly, both Blakes disentangled themselves from Yang before crawling up to lay on either side of her. Together they nuzzled into Yang's sides, wrapping their arms around her waist and pulling the blankets up to cover their bodies.

"I think your semblance is my newest favourite thing about you." Yang muttered softly, grinning as she rubbed her cheek against Blake's.

Blake hummed quietly, her hand lazily sliding up and down Yang's taut stomach.

"What was your favourite thing about me before?"

Yang chuckled, kissing Blake on the lips.

"You know damn well what it is, and why I always held the door for you."

Blake rolled her eyes before leaning in for another soft kiss. On Yang's other side, other Blake dropped gentle kisses on Yang's bare shoulder.

Wrapping her arms around both raven-haired girls, Yang pulled them in close to her body as she leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

"Out of all the ways tonight could have ended, I didn't think it would end like this." Yang said quietly, squeezing her legs together.

Blake readjusted her head on Yang's shoulder, her ear twitching as blonde strands tickled it.

"Well, don't get too used to it. Tonight was exhausting, and there's no guarantee she'll still be around in the morning."

Yang pouted for a moment, before gently shrugging. Turning to her right, she pressed a kiss to other Blake's forehead.

"Well, it was good while it lasted, at least."

Other Blake grinned up at Yang, her nose scrunching up cutely as her ears flattened out to the sides of her head. Nuzzling into Yang's shoulder, she inhaled deeply before sighing, scooting just a bit closer to Yang in an attempt to eliminate any space left between their bodies.

Blake laughed quietly, tracing Yang's abs beneath her skin.

"I think she likes you." Blake whispered softly.

Yang hummed happily.

"I like her too."

* * *

Author's note: Well, that was an exercise in difficulty. I hope you enjoyed this, because it was weird as hell to write. Not my best work by any means, that's for sure.

Any reviews are appreciated, either blind praise or constructive criticism and advice is equally appreciated. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

After this, I'm hoping to carry on with a few more existing story lines ( Something Different, maybe?) so let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see continued or expanded upon.


	49. Something Different Part Ten

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Forty-Nine: Something Different Part Ten_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

The truck heaved side to side, rocking Blake gently in the comfortable bucket leather seat she was currently ensconced in. Still, she reached out with her right hand and grabbed the door handle to steady herself as her left hand sought out Yang's.

Yang smirked as she gave Blake's hand a squeeze, glancing to her left at the beautiful raven-haired girl as she pulled up into the driveway to Weiss' house.

Having learned some time ago that Weiss' parents, when they were home, weren't too fond of the noise generated by the lifted diesel monstrosity, Yang quickly slapped her truck into park and killed the ignition.

"Y'know, we just as easily could have done this at our house." Yang said, unbuckling her seat belt and letting it slide through her fingers as it slowly retracted.

"Yeah, " Blake replied, "But Weiss had already volunteered her house. You don't mind, do you?"

Yang shrugged. "I don't really mind, " Yang leaned over to Blake, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

"But I really wanted to get you into MY bed after movie night." She whispered, playfully winking before pulling a flustered Blake into a kiss.

From the back seat, Ruby burst into laughter, tugging on the door handle and pushing the door open.

"Let me get the door for you, Blake, the sidesteps are a bit slippery after my last, uh... 'careful exploration' of the job site."

Blake cast a questioning look at her, before realization dawned on her face.

"Ah, right, all the mud. From when you went tearing through the customer's field after it had rained."

Yang looked at her, mock horror on her face. "I would _never_ do such a thing! Like I said, I was carefully exploring."

Blake smirked, shaking her head.

"Alright, alright, you win. It was careful exploration. Really careful, because you only splattered mud up to the roofline."

Yang grinned at her, setting little nervous flutters rippling through Blake's chest.

"Exactly!"

With that, Yang had slid out of her truck and made her way around to the passenger side of the truck.

Blake unbuckled her seatbelt as Yang pulled open her door. Carefully accepting Yang's hand, she slid down the side of the seat until her foot found the muddied sidestep. Yang reached out with her other hand, stepping a bit closer as she reached out and gently placed her hand on Blake's hip.

Once she was sure of her footing, she stepped down onto the ground. Yang, however, didn't step back to give her room. Instead, Yang released her hip and reached up to caress Blake's cheek, her lilac eyes softening as she smiled happily at Blake.

Blake, for her part, was slowly getting better with Yang's out of the blue displays of affection, but anything in public still make her face light up like a stop light.

"Y-Yang, what are you-"

Yang cut her off by dipping her head a bit and capturing Blake's lips with her own.

This seemed to be one of Yang's particularly favourite place to kiss, Blake absent-mindedly thought as she reached up to squeeze Yang's shoulders. More often than not, Blake found herself pressed up against Yang's truck, the blonde seemingly unable to get enough of her.

Not that she minded in the slightest, really.

"I'm glad that you two are enjoying each other, but could you enjoy each other somewhere other than the middle of my driveway?"

Weiss' impatient voice reached the couple, and the two pulled away, Yang grinning unabashedly as she slid her tongue slowly across her bottom lip, while Blake lowered her head in embarrassment, letting her hair obscure her face.

"Aw, lighten up Weiss. I brought Ruby, just like I knew you wanted, so you don't have to be left out!"

"Yang!"

Ruby laughed as Weiss' face turned a deep scarlet. The silver-haired girl opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Closing her mouth, she ground her teeth together and pointed toward the house.

"You're lucky Blake sees something in you, Yang, otherwise I'd have kicked your ass a long time ago. Now get in the house!"

Yang released her gentle grasp on Blake's hand, and moved toward Weiss. Reaching out, she pulled the surly girl into a one armed hug, easily over-powering the shorter girl's resistance.

"Aw Weiss, c'mon, don't be like that." Yang cajoled. Swiftly she ran her fingers into Weiss' hair, messing it up as Weiss' frantic struggling increased ten-fold.

"Yang, unhand me this instant!" Weiss hollered. Yang merely laughed, until Weiss' hands found Yang's unprotected sides. Digging her fingers mercilessly into Yang's ribs, Yang's laughter was cut short and replaced by a high-pitched yelp as her eyes widened comically.

Quickly, she released Weiss, taking a step back and wrapping her arms around her waist protectively. Weiss scowled at her, reaching up to smooth out her messed up hair.

"Such an uncivilized brute!" Weiss huffed.

Blake smiled wryly at her flustered friend as Yang moved back to her side. As Yang reached out toward the still open truck door, Blake stepped to the side so she could close it.

Yang gently closed the mud caked door, before reaching up to fold in her extended tow mirror.

"Just in case anyone comes home and parks beside my truck." Yang explained, catching Blake's questioning look.

"They stick out pretty far when they're extended, and some people are pretty clumsy."

Blake nodded in understanding, before a question formed in her mind.

"Why do you have them extended out all the time, if you're not pulling a trailer?"

Yang opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Ruby's bright laughter.

"Yang says she runs tow mirrors out because she's always pulling pussy."

Blake blinked as she took a second to process what she had just heard. Looking back and forth between Ruby and her older sister, there was a moment of silence as neither knew what to say.

"What?" Blake finally asked.

"What?" Yang parroted.

"What?" Ruby asked, puzzled.

"Get in the house." Weiss deadpanned.

Yang laughed nervously as Blake turned her amber gaze on her, an unreadable expression on her face. Ruby happily skipped past the black and yellow pair, throwing Weiss a wink and a smirk as she walked through the door. Weiss merely glared at her, but it had no effect on the cheery girl.

Yang started for the house, Blake following slightly behind. Unsure of what to think, Blake absent-mindedly bit her bottom lip as she studied the girl in front of her.

Weiss lead them into one of the more private dens at the far end of the house, away from the front entrance and any disturbances that might arise from people coming home.

Blake, used to Weiss' rather extravagant house, moved right to one of the clean, white leather couches that sat in the middle of a rather spacious room. Ruby and Yang, however, stopped as they entered what Weiss introduced to them as 'one of the theatre rooms'.

The entire left wall was painted in a special coating, and was opposite an expensive looking ceiling mounted projector along the right wall. Several surround speakers were mounted along the walls at ceiling height, their wiring cleverly hidden behind the drywall. Ruby glanced at the floor, realizing that her socked feet were nearly hidden in a beautiful dark grey high pile carpet, incredibly soft underfoot.

In what could be considered the middle of the room were two white leather couches, side by side with a small gap between them. A small end table sat between the couches, small indents in its surface clearly meant to hold cups. Each section of the two couches looked like they could individually recline, and Ruby was the first to run toward the couch that Blake had sat down upon, throwing herself onto the comfortable looking couch with a gleeful expression on her face.

About six feet behind the two couches, built on a slightly raised platform, sat a row of four individual reclining seats, complete with cupholders built into the arm rests. It was to one of these individual seats that Weiss approached, carefully sitting down and reclining ever so slightly. Somehow she managed to both retain her regal look and simultaneously look incredibly comfortable and relaxed. Picking up a remote from a small cherrywood table beside her chair, she pointed it at a receiver built into the ceiling above the projector screen. Instantly the projector came to life, displaying a large logo on the wall at the far end of the room.

"This is so cool!" Ruby cried, glancing around her chair. Not finding any switches or levers, she tried an experimental leanback, eyes widening in excitement as her portion of the couch began to smoothly recline, footrest popping out and elevating her feet.

Yang smiled at the childish reaction of her sister, but the smile never reached her eyes, which were glued to Blake. Blake, for her part, pointedly examined the screen, avoiding Yang's gaze.

"Come have a seat, Yang." Weiss said coolly, reaching over and patting one of the individual recliners beside her.

Yang bit her lip, hesitating. She really wanted to sit next to Blake, but Blake was currently giving her the cold shoulder, no doubt over Ruby's stupid comment from earlier. Now, for some reason she couldn't discern, Ruby seemed hellbent on sitting next to Blake, and Weiss was beginning to give her a hard stare, as if daring her to protest.

"Heh, sure. Why not?" Yang said quietly. Pushing off the door frame she had been leaning on, she slowly padded over to the chair indicated by Weiss.

With a sigh of resignation, she lowered herself into the soft leather chair, shaking her hair out of her eyes and focusing on the screen at the far end of the room.

Her focus didn't last long, however, as her gaze slid down to the raven-haired girl in front of her. Blake seemed to have her head bowed, and from what Yang could see, she seemed to be tapping away on her phone, completely oblivious to the blonde behind her.

Weiss picked up another remote, and at the press of a button, the lights dimmed briefly before flickering out. The room was cast into near darkness, the projector screen the only source of illumination.

"There's a fantastic show that I think we should make a weekly habit out of watching together, " Weiss began, left hand reaching out to the table that spanned the distance between their chairs. Pulling a wireless keyboard and mouse into her lap, she gave mouse a quick wiggle. The projector logo disappeared, a login screen taking it's place.

A quick pattering of keys, and Weiss was logged in. In an instant she navigated to Netflix, before clicking on one of her most recently viewed shows.

"The One Hundred?" Yang asked, wrinkling her nose at the strange sounding title.

Weiss nodded, clicking a few more times on the wireless mouse before setting both objects back on the side table.

"Trust me, you guys are going to love it."

Yang was about to reply, when the room was temporarily cast into darkness. Her response died on her tongue as the first episode began, and she tried to push thoughts of Blake from her mind in favor of concentrating on the images flashing across the screen in front of her.

* * *

They had gotten through seven episodes before the collective yawning became too much for Ruby. She had reclined comfortably on the couch and closed her eyes - _for just a moment, she thought-_ and was gently shaken awake by Blake some time later.

Opening her eyes had revealed credits rolling up the screen, and she looked around confusedly as Weiss slowly lowered the volume before shutting off the projector and casting the room into temporary darkness.

Blake had been the one with the best night vision, but as she got up to move toward the light switch on the far wall, Weiss rendered her attempt unneccesary with the press of a button on her remote.

A gentle, soft white light began filling the room as Yang stood, stretching her arms over her head as she yawned once more.

"So what's the plan for sleeping arrangements?" Yang asked, looking to Weiss as she tried to keep the tone of hopeful expectation out of her voice.

Weiss narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, glancing sidelong at Yang before sliding her gaze to Ruby, and then Blake. As she did so, she smoothly tilted her head to the left and then the right, two loud, hollow cracks resounding through the air. Ruby winced, sticking her tongue out in mock disgust.

"Blake can sleep in my room if she wants, and there's a guest room down the hall for you two." With a small head tilt, she indicated the sisters.

Yang glanced over to Blake to see what her reaction to the arrangements was, but her nose was buried in her phone.

Yang sighed in exasperation, deciding to give up for tonight. It seemed she was facing a dead end no matter what she did, so she resigned herself to sleeping alone tonight.

"Cool." Was all she mumbled, before moving toward the door. She heard Ruby shuffling up behind her, and she pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway.

"Down to your left." Yang heard Weiss' voice from behind her, and she obediently turned left, walking down the hall. Despite having not seen this part of Weiss' house before, Yang couldn't find it in herself to be interested in the design as she followed Weiss' command once more as she stopped at a closed door.

"G'night Yang." Was all Blake said as she passed by the blonde, pausing for just a moment to lean up on her tip toes and kiss the girl on the cheek before following Weiss down the hall to the silver-haired girl's room.

Yang sighed as she reached up to touch her cheek where Blake's lips had so briefly pressed against her skin.

"Yeah, yeah, get out of the way or get in the room." Came Ruby's annoyed voice, accompanied by a gentle shove on her back.

Yang twisted the handle and stepped inside, moving out of the way and allowing Ruby to follow in behind her.

The room was fairly sparse by Schnee standards, and that meant it was still pretty well equipped by Xiao-Long-Rose standards. Two king sized beds took up about half of the rectangular room, pressed up against the wall at the far end of the room. Two bedside tables separated the beds by a fair amount, and at the other end of the room was a single door that Yang assumed lead to an attached bathroom. Over the door hung a wall-mounted television, and Yang was sure that she would find the remote to operate it tucked neatly into one of their bedside table's drawers.

Ruby wasted no time in picking a bed, throwing her phone onto it and beginning to strip off her clothes.

"What do you look so annoyed for?" Yang asked, copying her sister's movements, albeit a bit more slowly.

Ruby peeled her shirt off and dropped it carelessly on the floor, glancing over her shoulder at her sister.

"Well, obviously I wanted to sleep with Weiss tonight." She huffed, speaking in a low voice despite the distance and closed doors separating them from Blake and Weiss.

Yang reached up absent-mindedly to brush a few loose strands of blonde out of her face.

"You should have thought of that before you made your wise-ass comment about my truck earlier." Yang retorted, feeling previously burnt out anger flaring up once again at her sister's audacity.

Ruby sighed quietly as she kicked out of her jeans, her creamy, flawless skin contrasted sharply by her black underwear.

"It was a necessary evil." Ruby lamented, throwing herself onto her bed and picking up her phone.

Yang's eyes narrowed as she folded her arms under her chest, resting her weight on her right leg as she pushed her hip out.

"Necessary?" Yang repeated, fixing her gaze on her younger sister.

"Absolutely." Ruby responded disinterestedly, without looking up from her phone.

"Do tell." Yang's voice lowered an octave, but if Ruby noticed, she gave no indication. Humming softly to herself, the silver-eyed girl tilted her head to the side and let her hair fall over one shoulder as she thumbed through her Instagram feed.

Receiving no answer, Yang stalked over to the bed. Without waiting for Ruby to notice her, Yang leapt onto the bed.

Ruby yelped as the bed shook, rolling onto her back as Yang pounced on her, straddling her waist and grabbing her wrists. Easily overpowering her younger sister, Yang grabbed the phone from Ruby's hand and tossed it across the room. There was a dull thump as it hit the floor, but the carpet muffled most of the sound, and, Ruby hoped, muted most of the damage.

"Yang, knock it off!"

Yang glared down at her younger sister, brows furrowing angrily.

"Explain what you meant when you said it was necessary." Yang demanded.

Ruby rolled her eyes and sighed, shaking her head to flick her hair out of her face.

"I know you really like Blake, and it seems like she really likes you too." Ruby started.

Yang leaned back a bit, eyes widening in mock confusion. "Are you serious, sis? I never would have guessed!"

Ruby sighed a bit louder this time, a drawn out "Ugh!" emphasizing her impatience with her older sister.

"What I mean is, " Ruby continued, daring her sister to interrupt, "Is that Blake took a big leap showing her true self to you."

Yang raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt. Ruby knew what her sister was asking anyway.

"Weiss told me about it, after Blake told her." Ruby explained. "Anyway, I know you said you briefly mentioned your... carefree dating style to her before, but I don't think you really went into detail."

Yang wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I really doubt that a still-virgin girl who's currently questioning her own sexuality really wants to hear about my past dating experiences." Yang said, shaking her head. "I really don't think that's the way to light her fire, if you know what I mean."

Ruby scoffed, attempting to free her wrists from Yang's hands. Yang merely tightened her grip slightly, wiggling her hips on Ruby's stomach as she made herself more comfortable.

"Oof, you weigh a ton."

Yang ground her teeth together as she leaned back, taking her weight off her knees a bit to press even more of her weight against Ruby.

"Oh God I take it back, get off me you lump!" Ruby yelled. Yang 'hmph'ed, then leaned forward over her sister, lifting a bit of her weight off the younger girl. Still, she held a firm grip on Ruby's wrists.

"I moreso meant that you should explain the reasoning behind what you did and why." Ruby went on, once she had regained her breath.

Yang sighed deeply, releasing one of Ruby's wrists to run her fingers through messy golden locks.

"I... don't know if she's ready for that. I don't know if I'm ready for that."

Ruby shrugged with her free shoulder, reaching up to touch absent-mindedly at the piercing under her eye.

"If you're not ready to tell her that, you're definitely not ready to try to convince her to sleep with you."

Yang's face twisted into one of displeasure once more.

"Why do you get to make that call?" Yang asked. Then her voice rose a bit as another thought occurred to her. "And why do you think that's all I'm after? And why do you care?"

Ruby stuck her tongue out at her older sister for a second, before grinning.

"Remember when you were worried that me messing with Weiss would ruin it for you and Blake? Well, that goes both ways, you know. If you aren't fully committed to this, emotionally and physically, and it goes bad for Blake and you, then Weiss and I will be over before we can have any real fun."

Yang pursed her lips together, mind whirling.

"And you think I'm the shallow sex deviant." She muttered.

Ruby laughed at that.

"I think Weiss knows that I'm just here to play." She said. "But Blake... I think she's actually in love with you. I can't stand by and do nothing while you rush in and fuck it all up."

"I wouldn't have fucked it up!" Yang replied indignantly.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Right. Of course. Whatever. All I'm saying, is I think it would be beneficial to try to slow things down a bit, and it couldn't hurt to explain to her what I meant by my comment about your truck earlier. And I know you know what I'm talking about."

Yang was silent for a moment, before looking her sister in the eye.

"Think she'll be mad?" Yang asked softly.

"Think she'll hate me?"

Ruby contemplated the question for a minute, before shrugging once more.

"Maybe."

Yang flinched lightly at the despondent answer.

"But probably not. How could she, when you're opening yourself up to her?"

Yang inhaled slowly, raising an eyebrow as she slowly rolled off her sister, freeing her.

"Let's hope you're right about this."

Ruby sat up, licking her lips as she formulated her response. As she was about to reply, however, her phone buzzed softly from across the room.

Her attention drawn away from the conversation at hand, she pushed herself up off the bed and made her way over to it where it lay face down on the carpet. Picking it up, she turned it over to find a single message from Weiss waiting for her.

A smile spread across her face, before she tossed her phone onto Yang's bed, which was closer. Grabbing her shirt from where she had discarded it earlier, she pulled it over her head before moving toward the door.

Yang glanced at her questioningly, but Ruby merely held up a finger to her lips, indicating silence.

Quietly opening the door, the girl slipped out and disappeared.

* * *

Ruby shut the door behind her, glancing to her right, and then to the left. Just as she began to wonder if she should have brought her phone in case there was a change in plans, she spotted a door opening at the far end of the hallway.

A silver-haired girl appeared, moving down the hallway on silent feet toward Ruby. Ruby grinned, opening her arms for a hug as Weiss drew near.

"Did you miss me al-" Ruby was cut off as Weiss crashed into her, silencing her by pressing her lips tightly against Ruby's.

Caught off guard, Ruby stumbled back against the wall beside the door to her room, hoping that the mild thump didn't draw the attention of Yang. Now she was trapped between the wall and Weiss, who was pressing herself up against Ruby in a hungry, needy fashion.

Ruby found herself getting lost in the feeling of Weiss' soft lips pressed against her own, and she let her eyes slide closed as she wrapped her arms around the other girl's waist. Pulling Weiss close, Ruby deepened the kiss as Weiss let her body relax against Ruby's, her hands tightly clutching the fabric of Ruby's hastily thrown on shirt.

As swiftly as Weiss had started it, she was ending it. Pulling away much too soon for Ruby's liking, Ruby let a soft whine of dejection escape her throat to vocalize her displeasure as Weiss reached up one dainty hand to cover her mouth. Slowly she looked Ruby up and down, taking in her disheveled shirt and black panties leaving almost nothing to the imagination.

There was silence between them as Ruby forced her breathing to slow, catching her breath. Just as she was about to speak again, however, Weiss beat her to it.

"Maybe tomorrow night will go a little better."

Weiss didn't wait for an answer before spinning on her heel and moving back toward her room. Ruby watched her retreat, a dazed expression on her face as she tried to piece together exactly what had happened.

Once there, Weiss took one last glance back at Ruby over her shoulder. Throwing her a wink and blowing her a kiss, Weiss disappeared into her room before Ruby could collect her thoughts and formulate a response.

* * *

Blake awoke abruptly the next morning, a strange feeling of something wrong pervading her senses. As she blinked the sleep from her eyes and raised her head from her pillow to glance around Weiss' room, she realized that the subtle sense of dread eating away at her stomach was the result of last night.

Yang had sent her a few texts earlier in the night once they had gone to their separate rooms, but she hadn't felt much like talking.

Now, as she sat up and brushed her hair from her face, she grabbed her phone as she tilted her head back, baring her teeth in a wide yawn.

After having a sleep on it, she felt rather foolish about her behaviour last night. She hadn't really given Yang a chance to explain her sister's choice of wording, and overall the whole thing seemed rather silly.

Still, if anyone knew Yang, it would be her sister Ruby, and Yang had admitted in the past to being... indiscriminately sexually active.

It was painfully confusing to Blake. One part of her wondered if it were even any of her business what Yang had done, but another part of her that adored the girl reminded her that they were officially dating now, a jolt of adrenaline shooting through her veins and darkening her face at the thought.

 _'Yang is my girlfriend.'_

The thought had her biting her bottom lip in apprehension as she had to remind herself that she wasn't imagining it.

The beautiful, vibrant, wonderfully thoughtful girl was actually going out with her.

Blake glanced down at the phone in her hand that she realized she was attempting to crush to pieces, and she relaxed her grip on it, turning it over in her hands until she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the darkened screen.

Activating the device, she saw that she had one unread message from Yang from the night before.

 _'Goodnight babe. Can't wait to see you in the morning.'_

Blake let her sore bottom lip slip from between her fangs as she smiled, keying in a quick response.

She had barely sent it when her phone vibrated insistently with Yang's reply.

 _'Yeah, you're the only one still in bed. Ruby and I are down in the kitchen watching Weiss make pancakes.'_

Blake sighed quietly, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to organize her jumbled thoughts before rolling off Weiss' bed and placing her feet on the floor. Throwing aside a thin blanket that clung to her waist, she stood up, clutching her phone tightly in her left hand.

It was a short jaunt down to the kitchen, and when she entered, the first person her eyes sought out was Yang. Evidently the blonde felt the same, as she looked away from Ruby as Blake entered, halting her conversation mid word as she grinned brightly at the raven-haired girl.

Blake felt an overwhelming desire to hug the girl before her and lavish her with kisses, but she pushed the desire down, instead opting to wave at Ruby and greet Weiss before moving over to take an empty seat to the right of Yang. With everyone present in the room, it wasn't difficult to squash the rising desire to express her growing affections.

"Sleep well?" Yang asked, leaning back in her chair as she stretched mightily, reaching up over her head.

Blake shrugged wordlessly, fingertips peeking out of her long sleeves as she reached up to brush a strand of raven hair away from her face. She stared at the table in front of her, a confusing maelstrom of feelings whirring through her.

Yang sighed quietly, dropping her arms to the table in front of her.

Blake looked up at Weiss, who was standing in front of the stove with a spatula in her hand, surveying the three sitting at the table who were looking at her expectantly. Weiss' arms were crossed, and there was no discernible expression on her face as she looked from Blake, to Yang, to finally settling on Ruby's grinning face.

Weiss was unable to maintain eye contact for very long, and with a roll of her eyes to disguise her rising embarrassment, she turned back to the stove.

"What's everyone doing today?" Weiss asked, prodding carefully at the edge of a slowly cooking pancake.

Ruby was the first to pipe up, a loud, "Not a damn thing!" being exclaimed with, what Weiss thought, was just a bit too much pride. The proud declaration quirked the corner of her mouth into a smile, but it went unnoticed by the group behind her.

"I have to go check out a job today." Yang said evenly, drumming the fingers of her left hand on the surface of the table.

Blake felt her heart drop slightly at the revelation, not wanting to be separated from Yang so quickly, but not quite sure how to prolong the time they were spending together.

"Want to come with me?"

Blake's ears twitched underneath her hair, and her head perked up a bit as she glanced to her left.

"I... "

Yang raised an eyebrow at Blake's hesitation, then shrugged.

"You don't have to, if you don't want to. It's just that it's an hour away, and the drive can get boring by myself."

Blake raised her golden gaze from Yang's still drumming fingers to meet her curious lilac gaze, and a shiver passed through her body as she was once again reminded that not too long ago, this wonderful girl had asked her out.

"I'd like that." Blake said quietly, nodding.

"Great!" Yang grinned, clearly pleased with the answer. Taking it as a good sign, Yang slipped her right hand off the table and underneath, reaching over to Blake's lap to find her left hand resting there before grasping it tightly and rubbing her thumb over the back of Blake's hand.

Blake looked away from Yang and back down to the table in front of her, a fierce heat burning the tips of her ears. After a second, however, she gently scooted her chair just a bit closer to Yang, earning a quiet hum of approval from the younger girl.

Yang squeezed Blake's hand, getting the older girl to look up at her. Yang smiled softly, captivating Blake as the girl found herself unable to look away from those intense lilac eyes.

Yang's smile widened, and her nose crinkled ever so cutely as she leaned in a bit. Blake's lips parted ever so slightly, finding herself lost in Yang's beautiful features as the girl found herself slowly drifting closer. Amber eyes flitted down to soft, cherry colored lips before flickering up to get lost once more in Yang's eyes, the vibrant colors drawing her in slowly but surely until-

There was a clattering of plates and silverware in front of them accompanied by Weiss daintily clearing her throat, and Blake jumped back into her seat, tearing her gaze away from Yang to look around and take in her surroundings.

Ruby was leaning her chair back on two legs, her eyebrow raised curiously as she stared at Blake, and Weiss was staring at her with a deadpan expression on her face.

Blake flushed as she realized that she had been about to kiss Yang in front of everyone at the breakfast table, and she pulled her hand out of Yang's as she reached up to pull her hair over her shoulder, obscuring her reddening face from view as she glanced shyly down at the plate full of steaming pancakes that had materialized in front of her.

Yang, for her part, was absolutely shameless, giggling quietly to herself as she pulled a plate of pancakes closer to her.

"Thanks, Weiss!" Yang chirped happily, grabbing her fork and aggressively stabbing at the stack of pancakes.

Beside her, Ruby pretended to wretch, gaining Weiss' attention.

"Dry pancakes, she's such a savage." Ruby explained, grimacing as she reached for a bottle of syrup in the middle of the table.

Weiss sighed, shaking her head, and pulled out a chair across from Ruby as she sat down. Her plate contained a modest two lightly browned, fluffy pancakes in comparison to Ruby and Yang's plate of five each.

Reaching for the butter, it was the only addition Weiss made to her breakfast as she snuck curious glances at Ruby as the silver-eyed younger girl drowned her pancakes in syrup.

"Ahh, I see no breakfast is complete without diabetes." Weiss said dryly, popping a small chunk of lightly buttered pancake into her mouth and chewing slowly.

Ruby looked up as she used her fork to spread the sugary liquid over her pancakes, eyes landing on Weiss' plain pancakes. They widened slightly, before Ruby grinned.

"Wanna try some?"

Weiss shook her head, but despite her protests, Ruby stood up, picking up her plate and extending it toward Weiss.

"You know you wanna! Just give it a small lick, Weiss!"

Weiss leaned back in her seat, reaching out to push the plate away.

"Ruby, I can assure you, I'm fine without having a taste."

Ruby snickered, but didn't relent. Using her fork to cut a piece off, she slowly extended it toward Weiss, who seemed to shrink back in her seat away from the syrup soaked cake.

"Ruby, get that disgusting thing away from me!" Weiss' voice raised from a calm tone to a panicked shriek as Ruby laughed, but still she didn't let up.

"Better eat it Weiss, before it drips onto your clothing!" Ruby teased in a sing-song voice. Sure enough, droplets of syrup were beginning to collect on one of the tines of the fork, threatening to fall off and create a sticky mess.

Light blue eyes widened imperceptibly at the threat of mess, and there was an instant where Weiss ground her teeth together, a grimace marring her features before she leaned forward and snatched up the offered morsel, gripping it between her teeth and pulling it from the fork in one smooth movement. It dissolved into a pool of sugar in her mouth, the overbearing sweetness flooding her taste buds, and she leaned forward once more and stuck out her tongue, slowly licking the back of the fork from shaft to tines. As her tongue reached the tip, she dipped her head and took it into her mouth, gently swiping her tongue across the warm surface as she sought out every last bit of syrup. When she was satisfied, she released the fork, tilting her head to the side and throwing a subtle wink at a stunned Ruby.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she settled back in her chair as she fixed Ruby with a pointed stare, one perfectly shaped eyebrow raising slightly and a grin toying with the corners of her mouth as she studied the seemingly transfixed girl still leaning over the table.

"Happy?" Weiss asked, parting her pale lips slightly to pass her soft pink tongue over her bottom lip to lick up every last drop of sticky syrup.

Ruby blinked a few times, before shaking her head and slowly sinking back into her chair.

"Uh... yeah."

Weiss smiled, reaching up with her right hand to run her fingers through her pony-tailed hair.

"Good." Was her simple reply as she picked up her fork with her left hand to resume eating.

There was silence for a moment as Yang and Blake looked at each other before glancing back to Weiss, then Ruby spoke up once more.

"So... how was it?"

Weiss glanced up from her plate once more, looking at Yang, before sliding her sharp gaze over to Ruby. There was an unrecognizable look in her eyes as she contemplated her answer for a moment.

"I wouldn't be against having another taste."


	50. Something Different Part 11

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty: Something Different Part 11_

 _Bumblebee, White Rose_

* * *

Yang leaned against the front door as she slipped into her shoes, reaching up to run her hands through her hair and gather it into a messy ponytail before securing it with an elastic. Once she was ready, she put her hand on the door handle, giving it a twist but keeping the door closed as she glanced over to Blake.

"Ready?"

Blake nodded, slipping her phone into her back pocket.

"Ready." She confirmed.

Yang grinned, pulling open the front door.

"Let's go!" Grabbing Blake's hand, she started out, but was quickly jerked back inside by the raven-haired girl.

"Er... Blake?"

Blake peeked her head out the door, then scowled darkly at the grey clouds flooding the skies.

"It's raining." She muttered, pulling her hand out of Yang's and folding her arms across her chest.

Yang looked at her quizzically, not quite understanding the problem.

"Yeah, so?" She inquired.

Blake glared at her, hunching her shoulders up as a cool breeze wafted in from the open doorway.

"I hate the rain."

Yang laughed at the dark look on Blake's face, before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head before she could shy away.

"Okay, but do you really hate the rain?" Yang asked, "Or do you just hate getting wet?"

Blake took a moment to contemplate the question.

"Is there a difference?" She finally asked.

Yang grinned her trademark grin, the one that, more than once, made Blake quite literally weak in the knees.

Blake's scowl lessened a bit, and she tilted her head to the side a bit as she studied her favourite blonde.

"I'll be right back." Yang offered, before dashing out into the rain. Blake couldn't organize her thoughts and formulate a response before Yang was climbing into the back of her truck, the rain pattering down onto her unprotected back and neck as she popped open her silver job box and began digging through it.

Blake watched with mild curiosity as Yang grabbed something, balling it up before slamming the lid to her job box closed. Vaulting effortlessly over the side of her box, Yang's feet slammed into the wet pavement with a loud _'Thwack!'_ , the kind that made Blake wince in sympathy as if she could feel the sharp pains shooting up her shins.

Yang didn't seem to feel anything though as she bounded toward the house, the item she had grabbed tucked safely under her shirt. Once she crossed the threshold and was completely out of the rain, she pushed her damp bangs out of her face and smirked at Blake.

"Try this on." She said, pulling the item out from underneath her shirt.

Blake looked down at it, slowly reaching out and taking it from her. Shaking it out and holding it up, she quickly realized it was a black hoodie with bright yellow and silver reflective stripes across the back and down the front.

Across the back in big block letters read, "Xiao-Long Safety Consultation"

Blake hesitated a moment, looking from the sweater up to Yang, who nodded.

Shaking it out, she flipped it right side up before slipping her arms inside and pulling it over her head.

As she pulled it down to her waist, her head popping out, she was met by Yang's grinning visage.

Yang stepped a bit closer, reaching up to grab the front of the hoodie. Pulling Blake toward her, Yang caught the raven-haired girl off guard, eliciting a short yelp from the girl before Yang silenced her with a kiss.

It was short in it's duration, but no less intense than any of the other ones, and Blake found her thoughts came to a grinding halt as Yang's lips pressed feverishly against her own. Unable to move, unable to form coherent thoughts, Blake melted against Yang, pressing her body tightly against the blonde as Yang released the soft, worn fabric of her hoodie in favour of wrapping her arms around Blake's waist.

Blake responded in kind, bringing her hands up to caress Yang's strong arms for a moment before moving on to grip her shoulders tightly.

Blake's grip on Yang's shoulders was quite weak by the time Yang released her, playfully biting Blake's bottom lip and grinning in response to the shiver that passed through the demure girl. Carefully, Yang reached up to run her fingers through Blake's hair, mindful of her taped down ears as she straightened the girl's messy locks.

"You know... " Yang murmured softly, staring at Blake as her fingers ghosted over the edges of Blake's human ears, "You look somehow even more perfect with my name on you."

Unable to control her embarrassment any longer, it was at this point that Blake's pale face burst into flames, a red tint flaring across her cheeks as she pulled away, gaze dropping to the floor. Yang giggled quietly, and slowly pulled away in an attempt to release the girl, but Blake reached up and covered Yang's hand with her own, pressing Yang's cool hand to her rapidly heating cheek.

They stayed like that for a moment, Blake staring at the floor and Yang staring at Blake, before Yang leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Blake's head, right between her ears.

"C'mon, let's get moving." Yang said quietly. Blake nodded minutely, releasing Yang's hand but refusing to raise her head to meet the blonde's gaze.

Yang took Blake's hand, threading their fingers together before leading the older girl outside.

With her free hand, Blake flicked the hood up over her head, protecting herself from the falling rain.

* * *

Weiss regarded Ruby carefully as the younger girl approached her, a smug look on her face and a glass of milk in her hand.

"What do you look so pleased for?" Weiss asked guardedly as Ruby carefully sat down on the couch beside her.

There was a respectable distance separating them, but Weiss wasn't sure it would last long.

Ruby, for her part, glanced sideways at Weiss with those enticing silver eyes, raising the glass to her lips and taking a measured sip.

There was silence for a moment as Ruby swallowed, licking her upper lip before leaning forward and setting her glass of milk down on an ornate cherrywood coffee table.

Instantly, Weiss leaned forward and picked it up, setting it back down on an onyx drink coaster.

Ruby smirked, then shook her head.

"Sorry." She said wryly.

Weiss shrugged.

"Force of habit." Was her reply.

"So... we're alone for a while, yeah?"

Instantly Weiss tensed, bracing herself for any advances Ruby intended on making.

"Oh, relax." Ruby drawled, instantly noticing the way Weiss seemed to shrink in upon herself.

A bit vexed at Ruby's instant, accurate diagnosis, Weiss pulled her shoulders back and sat a little straighter, ignoring the younger girl's words.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" Ruby asked.

Weiss regarded Ruby with an inscrutable look, contemplating her response to the raven-haired girl.

"I suppose a movie couldn't hurt."

Ruby hummed softly, glancing teasingly at Weiss from the corner of her eye as she reached for the remotes on the coffee table.

"No, but you sure can, if you want."

Weiss froze, unsure of which of her several knee-jerk reactions would be most approriate.

Mild embarrassment and indignation warred with schooled dismissive indifference, and unsure of exactly which one to unleash upon the strange girl beside her, Weiss' mind settled for freezing in place, mouth parted slightly in preparation for a response that never came.

Ruby giggled softly, tucking her legs up underneath her as she scooted closer to Weiss, leaning against the older girl and resting her head on Weiss' shoulder.

"Since I didn't hear you protesting!" Ruby said in a sing-song voice, reaching out and dropping the remotes into Weiss' lap as she latched her hands around Weiss' arm.

The contact unfroze the silver-haired girl, and she made an attempt to elbow Ruby off of her.

Ruby barely budged.

"Well, that was... an attempt." Ruby allowed, choosing her words carefully.

"I don't want to hurt you." Weiss said curtly, attempting again to shove the girl off of her.

They both knew she wasn't trying very hard, however.

Ruby hummed, nuzzling against Weiss' arm.

"Whenever you're done putting up the illusion of resistance, you can pick a show and then cuddle with me."

Weiss ground her teeth together, mild annoyance beginning to fester beneath her skin.

"Get off." Weiss said shortly, nudging Ruby a bit harder this time.

At that, Ruby reluctantly sat up, fixing Weiss with a wide-eyed silver puppy dog pout.

"Really?" Ruby asked softly, her voice wavering slightly.

Weiss narrowed sky blue eyes at the girl for a moment.

Ruby stuck out her bottom lip a bit further, tilting her head as silky, smooth strands slipped from her shoulder to her chest.

Weiss sighed in defeat, lifting up her arm and making a _come here_ motion.

"... No."

Ruby grinned, diving into Weiss' side and nuzzling happily against the girl even as she falsely protested the contact.

"What do you want to watch, Weiss?" Ruby asked, dragging her fingertips up and down Weiss' thigh.

Blue eyes glanced from the television, to Ruby's busy hand, then back to the television.

"I'm... not sure." Weiss muttered softly.

"We could continue that show from last night." Ruby suggested.

Weiss looked away from the television to glance at Ruby.

From this angle, Weiss got a good look at Ruby's soft button nose, beautiful wide silver eyes and silky smooth skin mostly unmarred by anything other than the silver piercing beneath her right eye.

Realizing she was staring, and that Ruby had said something, Weiss tore her gaze away, suddenly very conscious of Ruby's warmth pressed into her side.

Turning her gaze back to the television mounted on the far wall, she tried to ignore the feeling of Ruby's fingertips skittering up and down her leg.

"Uhh... would it be fair to skip ahead of your sister and Blake?" Weiss asked, suddenly finding it difficult to concentrate.

Ruby shrugged, her shoulder gently pressing into Weiss' ribcage.

"I'm sure we could find something to occupy us while they catch up."

Weiss shifted slightly, her left arm draped over Ruby's shoulder tightening slightly around the girl. Her fingertips inadvertently brushed against Ruby's chest, and the girl chuckled softly.

"Yeah, stuff like that."

Weiss' hand closed into a fist and she made to remove it from Ruby's shoulders, but the girl was faster, reaching up to grab Weiss' hand and hold it in place.

Weiss concentrated on the feeling of Ruby's fingers around her wrist, and after a moment, she allowed her fist to relax. Instantly Ruby threaded their fingers together, holding onto Weiss' hand gently.

Letting her body relax slightly, Weiss turned back to the television and selected the last episode of the show they had left off on.

* * *

Blake reclined the seat a bit, leaning back and nuzzling into the warm, comfortable sweater Yang had given to her earlier. Burying her face in the fabric, she could catch teasing hints of Yang's scent in the fabric, evidence that she had worn it at some point in the last little while. The scent was faint, probably a few months old at this point, but still present, and every time her sensitive nose caught a trace of it, it brought with it a myriad of warm, pleasant feelings that cascaded through her chest. Beside her, Yang glanced over and chuckled quietly.

"You like that sweater, eh?"

Blake nodded, her nose still buried in the collar.

"It smells like you and I love it." She said quietly, her voice muffled somewhat by the hoodie over her nose and mouth.

Yang hummed softly, having heard the softly spoken words.

"You're welcome to hold onto it for as long as you like, then."

Beneath the sweater, Blake smiled happily. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply. The faintest traces of a different scent reached her nose, and Blake's brows furrowed slightly as she opened her eyes. Raising her hands up, she readjusted the fabric before sniffing again, and there, close to the right side of the collar, was the barest hints of an unknown scent.

It didn't smell like Ruby, Blake thought, releasing her grip on the sweater, but she couldn't rule out another family member.

 _'Or a lover.'_ That dark part of her mind insisted.

Scowling, Blake forced that part of her mind away, instead choosing to focus on a different issue.

"So... " She began hesitantly, garnering Yang's attention as the blonde pressed a button on her steering wheel, engaging cruise control.

"So?" Yang prompted, after a second of silence. She glanced to her right, noticing that Blake seemed to have slouched down in her seat a bit, practically burying her face in the black sweater and staring at the dash in front of her.

"This is probably gonna sound pretty stupid, " Blake murmured, "But I was wondering what Ruby meant by that comment yesterday."

Yang sighed softly, having anticipated this. Blake looked up quickly at the sigh, mistakenly interpreting it as exasperation.

"Sorry." She said quickly, "I was just-"

Yang glanced at her and smiled gently.

"Don't worry Blake, I kind of expected it. Ruby told me I should talk to you about it, so... just hear me out, and try not to be too mad, okay?"

Blake nodded slowly, wondering exactly what it was that she wasn't supposed to get mad at. Countless scenarios ran through her mind, and that negative part of her that thought that Yang was too good for her insisted that it had to do with the strange scent lingering on the hoodie that was wrapped around her body.

"Okay." She said quietly.

Yang was silent for a moment as she organized her thoughts, tapping her fingers on her leather wrapped steering wheel to the sound of the music that emanated from the radio.

After a moment she reached out and shut the radio off. The only sound that could be heard in the cab was the muted roar of the diesel engine, and the persistent hum of the thick, knobby mudding tires against asphalt.

"Okay, well... a few years ago, when I was just forming my company and trying to get everything off the ground, I spent a lot of time on it. Like, a LOT of time."

Blake nodded silently to show she was paying attention, but otherwise didn't interrupt.

"There was someone I was seeing at the time, and they grew to resent the time I spent forming the company. They were sure it was going to fail within the first year, and didn't like that I essentially put our relationship on hold in order to pursue this dream I had."

"They didn't support you?" Blake asked quietly, risking a glance up at Yang.

Yang exhaled softly through her nose, a disappointed sigh.

"At first, yeah. But, nothing ever comes easy, you know? It wasn't smooth sailing at first. I neared bankruptcy several times, and to be honest, I spend more time near the waterline than I'd like to, even now. One or two missed payments, and it's all over for me. It's hard, I'm barely established, and I have to constantly chase work. My name isn't big enough to draw clients to me, so I have to seek them out. It's expensive and time consuming, and it's kind of why this summer home deal with Weiss is working out so well for me. My name, attached to the Schnee name, is a bit of a godsend. This has the potential to bring in a lot of work for me."

Blake nodded slowly, unsure of what the connection was. Still, she patiently listened.

"Anyway, I'm digressing." Yang explained, reaching up to her rearview mirror and pressing a button. Instantly the small glass screen changed from a compass display to a fuel economy display, and she bit her lip as she glanced over the numbers.

"The point is, I really liked that person, and it kind of broke my heart when we split up."

Blake pursed her lips together, a streak of anger lighting through her veins at the thought of anyone making Yang upset.

"Well, not kind of." Yang's voice lowered as she turned away from Blake, looking out her driver's side window at the passing scenery.

"It really broke my heart. It was the worst."

Blake, unable to hear any more, reached out and gently grasped Yang's free hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

Yang looked back at her and smiled, but it didn't quite reach her sad lilac eyes as she returned her gaze to the road stretching out in front of her.

"I carried on anyway, building my company the way I saw fit. But, I always thought about that person. It ate at me until work picked up enough to keep my thoughts vacant of them, and when the money began rolling in, I reinvented myself."

Blake had an inkling of where this was going, but not sure enough to assume anything on Yang's part, so she stayed silent.

"When the first few cheques hit the bank account, I had a taste of what my hard work could do. I hunted around the dealerships until I saw this truck, and when I talked to them about financing it as a company vehicle, they were tripping over themselves to get me approved for whatever I wanted regardless of my young age. My healthy bank account and good credit helped a lot too."

Blake smiled a bit at that, glancing around the truck that had become synonymous with Yang.

"Shortly after that, I hit a string of small, easy jobs. Nothing major, nothing to establish me as a competent, well known individual, but man, did I ever think I was the boss."

Blake's smiled widened a bit more at the wistful tone.

"I was still in the midst of recovering from my heart break, and I had what was, to me at the time, a ton of money in the bank. I went a little crazy, and for a while I had whatever I wanted. If I saw someone I liked, it was easy to convince them to come home with me. In an attempt to put my broken heart behind me, I ended up... being a bit of a slut, honestly."

Blake winced at the words, sensing that Yang had been trying to avoid wording it so, but there was no real way around it.

"Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that, I mean, if that's what you're into, then fill yer boots, I guess." Yang reached up to thread her fingers through soft blonde locks, thinking about her next words.

"It wasn't wrong, but... it wasn't right for me. That wasn't who I was. I'm not the shallow, materialistic, fuck-anything-that-moves type of person. I don't enjoy one-upping everyone in the room with the bigger truck, the bigger bank account, the better conquests, but for a while, that's who I was."

Blake clucked her tongue sympathetically, but the sound was muted by the sweater that she still had her nose buried in, and she doubted that Yang had heard her.

"You know, sometimes I wonder just how much of my terrible personality has influenced Ruby. I try not to discourage her from exploring her sexuality and seeing what it is she likes, especially when she watched me do it for a while, but all I can do is make sure she does it safely, you know? Still, I don't want her to make the same mistakes I made, but I always have some doubt about that because making mistakes is part of growing up."

Silence filled the cab, painfully loud in the absence of Yang's voice.

"It's fucking hard, you know?"

Blake's ears twitched as she caught the waver in Yang's voice and she opened her mouth to say something comforting. Before she could, however, Yang laughed, a bitter tone seeping into her otherwise light and happy tone.

"Every time I see Ruby bring home a different guy or girl, or brag about the latest hot piece of ass she's scored, I see the worst parts of me that I hate, and I regret it. It's those parts of me that keep me from being worth the time of someone like you."

Blake shook her head vehemently, pushing herself up in her seat as she tightened her grip on Yang's hand.

"Yang you can't say that!"

Yang glanced at her wide eyed, caught off guard by Blake's outburst. Blake reached up and tugged down the sweater covering her nose and mouth, her amber eyes burning into startled lilac with an intensity that Yang had never seen before.

"I can't just let you beat yourself up like that!" Blake said, turning sideways in her seat to stare at Yang as the blonde glanced back at the road.

"I know you're not happy about what you did or how you acted, but we all react to a broken heart very differently. I can't say I would have done what you did in your situation, but I've never been in love like that before. Just because you took home a few guys or girls or whatever doesn't negate all the good things about you. You're incredibly smart, a hard worker with a vision and a drive to do what you want despite what others say. If that person that you loved couldn't stay by your side throughout everything, then, I'm sorry to say it, but, they weren't good enough for you."

Yang flinched a bit at that, her eyes clouding over as she got a distant, disconnected look in her eyes.

Blake's tone softened a bit as she realized what she had said, but she refused to give up.

"I don't know what you were expecting me to say, or how you expected me to react, but I can't be mad at you for it. It's obvious that you hate yourself more than anyone else ever could, but I can't."

Blake reached out and gently caressed Yang's cheek, her voice softening as she carefully chose her next words.

"Not when every decision you've ever made eventually lead you to me."

Yang stared at the road for a minute, blinking unshed tears from her eyes as she attempted to put a lid on her emotions. The only indication she gave that she heard Blake's words was the way she held Blake's hand tightly in her own, refusing to let go.

Blake, for her part, kept her gaze on Yang's profile, absorbing every detail about the beautiful girl before her.

They travelled like that for a while, Blake staring at Yang and Yang staring at the road. Silence stretched out between them, but it wasn't awkward, and neither seemed to mind.

It was some time later when Yang's GPS dinged, jerking Blake out of her daydreams as Yang's hand slipped from hers. Yang reached up and pressed a few buttons, then leaned back in her seat and yawned.

As she passed the back of her hand over her eyes to dispel unshed tears, she shifted a bit in her seat in an attempt to wake up.

"So, when we get to site, I'll get you to stick close to me and-"

Yang gently lifted the top of the center console that made up part of the middle seat that was folded down between them and retrieved a small clipboard with a few papers attached.

"-Just glare at everything and everyone and every once in a while, pretend to write something down on this here board. If anyone looks at you, stare at their tools or ladders or something, shake your head disapprovingly, and write something down."

Blake had to hold back a bark of laughter at the ridiculous command, and she took the clipboard from Yang, turning it right side up and glancing down at the paper on it.

"What if someone talks to me or asks me something?" Blake asked, eyes roaming over the paper as she took in the almost other-worldly language.

"Refer them to me, just tell them you don't associate with their kind."

Blake rolled her eyes, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"That makes me sound like kind of a bitch, Yang."

Yang glanced sideways at her as she stepped on the brake, the loud growl of the diesel motor dying out as she began slowing down.

"Hey, unless you have the answers to their questions, then by all means, let 'er fly."

Blake bounced the edge of the clipboard on her knees a bit as Yang flicked on her turn signal, moving into the deceleration lane along the side of the highway.

"Fair enough." Blake allowed. "Do I need any foolish looking safety gear? You are a safety company, after all."

Yang reached toward a row of buttons beneath her radio and pressed one. Instantly, the engine revs shot up, and Blake was thrown forward in her seat, stopped only by her seatbelt as the engine brake engaged.

Blake was glad her ears were pinned flat against her head underneath her hair as an ungodly roar filled the cabin, and she was sure that her face was contorted into a hilarious expression of slight fear and bewilderment. Yang glanced at her amusedly, lips twitching as she attempted to suppress a smile, and once Blake pushed herself back into her seat, she narrowed her golden eyes playfully at Yang.

"I'm glad you thought that wa-"

Yang held up a hand, and Blake fell silent, eyebrows curving up questioningly. Yang twisted her wrist around to point at her dash, and on cue, her truck downshifted again, jerking roughly as the renewed noise assaulted Blake's ears. Blake was sure that Yang was trying to put her through the windshield now, and braced herself in her seat until the deceleration lessened a bit.

Now slowed to an acceptable speed, Yang gently slid her palm around the steering wheel, turning off the highway and onto the side road that would lead them to site.

"God, I love that Pac brake." Yang said, releasing the brake and getting back onto the throttle.

Blake said nothing as the monstrous diesel torque pushed her back into her seat, and a glance in the extended tow mirror on her side showed black clouds of diesel exhaust rolling into the sky.

"What's the point of it trying to put you through the windshield?" Blake asked, readjusting herself in the comfortable leather seat.

Yang glanced at her, eyebrow raised.

"'Cuz it's awesome?"

Blake returned the look, shaking her head playfully.

"Eh... is it, though?"

Yang gasped, reaching forward to pat the dash of her truck affectionately.

"She didn't mean that babe, she's just jealous, that's all." Yang murmured, garnering an undignified snort of laughter from Blake.

Yang chuckled at the sound as Blake covered her mouth with her sleeve, looking away out the window as her cheeks burned.

"It's actually for towing a trailer, it helps slow down you and your load when the trailer wants to push you. It's incredibly helpful, actually, for almost any size trailer." Yang said after a moment, reaching out to shut off the exhaust brake.

Blake twisted around in her seat, looking out the tinted back window.

"Huh. Strange. I don't see a trailer."

Yang smirked.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is the size of the trailer in her heart."

Blake turned to stare at Yang, unblinking as she attempted to process what Yang had said. Slowly, she reached out and put her hand on the door handle.

"Do you want me to hop out and give you two some time alone?" Blake asked.

Yang turned her head toward Blake to throw her a wink, baring her teeth in a cheeky grin.

"You could, but I don't know what you'd do with yourself for such a long time."

Blake scoffed, tilting her head down to nuzzle against the fabric of Yang's sweater as she snuck a whiff of her scent.

"Four minutes isn't 'a long time.'" Blake retorted.

Yang opened her mouth to respond, but her usually quick wit failed her, and she sighed in defeat.

"I... uh... fuck."

Blake laughed, reaching out to gently pat Yang's shoulder as her GPS beeped again, Yang slowing down even further as she spotted the driveway she needed approaching on the left.

"I'll get you back for that," Yang assured her, spinning the steering wheel to the left with ease as she guided the behemoth of a truck up the narrow driveway.

Blake reached down and popped the latch to her seatbelt, throwing it off her shoulder as she pushed herself up in her seat. Leaning over the folded down jump seat between them, she pressed her lips against Yang's cheek in a soft kiss before settling back down in her seat.

"I'll be looking forward to it."

* * *

The remote clattered to the floor, but neither girl paid it much attention as Ruby pushed Weiss down onto her back. Weiss, for her part, scooted down on the couch, making room for the younger girl as Ruby carefully straddled Weiss' hips. Weiss reached up and grabbed a handful of Ruby's red tipped hair, pulling her down until their lips pressed hungrily together. Her other hand came up and caressed the back of Ruby's neck, holding the younger girl in place as Weiss hungrily kissed her, wasting no time in biting Ruby's bottom lip and forcing her tongue inside her mouth.

Ruby moaned weakly as Weiss assaulted her lips, her fists tangling in the fabric of Weiss' shirt. After a moment, Ruby could no longer handle the painful attention Weiss was lavishing on her lips, and she pulled back, wincing slightly as she grinned wryly.

"For someone who didn't want to do anything, you're awfully aggressive." Ruby teased, reaching up to prod tenderly at her sensitive bottom lip.

Weiss' sharp blue eyes flicked back and forth between Ruby's muted silver, studying the girl as she slowly licked her bottom lip.

"You have prior experience with just how aggressive I can be." Weiss taunted, desire clouding her normally bright blue eyes as her gaze fell from Ruby's inviting lips to her tightly clothed body.

The girl nodded, tilting her head to the side as she reached up to pull her hair over her left shoulder.

"I'm not complaining, that's for sure." Ruby's voice was soft, but Weiss had no problem hearing her.

Artificial light glinted off the piercing beneath her right eye as Ruby shifted, rocking her hips slightly as she adjusted her position on top of Weiss. Weiss bit her bottom lip but said nothing, eyes roaming all over Ruby's body as the girl reached down to the hem of her shirt.

Her fingers found the edge, and in one smooth motion Ruby had stripped the shirt off over her head, throwing it to the floor. A second later and her deft fingers unclasped her bra, sliding it off her shoulders and tossing it toward her shirt as she bared her chest to Weiss. Weiss' gaze dropped to Ruby's breasts hungrily, desire clear on her features as Ruby rubbed her hands over her chest, tilting her head back as she massaged herself gently.

"How rough are you going to be with me tonight, Weiss?" Ruby asked quietly, her voice taking on a slightly breathless quality as cupped her breasts, covering her nipples from Weiss' view.

Weiss didn't bother with a response. At least, not a verbal one.

The silver-haired girl reached up and grabbed Ruby by the shoulders, pulling her back down into a heated kiss. Weiss once again forced her tongue into Ruby's mouth, however, this time she met much less resistance as it seemed Ruby was ready for it. Sliding her tongue against Ruby's, her soft moan of pleasure was barely audible in comparison to the pleased sound that Ruby made.

Searching hands cavorted across Ruby's back, sliding from her hard shoulders down to prominent shoulder blades. Fingers curling into raking claws, Weiss dragged her nails down Ruby's back, following the narrowing curve of Ruby's waist to slightly wider hips.

Ruby certainly didn't have the typical full figure of a mature, developed woman, but her tight, lithe body was no less arousing for Weiss as she slipped her hand underneath the waistband of Ruby's pants, cupping her butt and pulling their bodies together a bit tighter.

Ruby's legs gave out at that moment, and she dropped fully onto Weiss, running her hands up the sides of Weiss' face to grasp at her soft, silken hair. Weiss didn't even register the slight tugging at her hair, too immersed in the feeling of Ruby's body underneath her hands.

The broke the heated kiss for a moment, Ruby breathing deeply to catch her breath as she stared down at Weiss. Weiss was barely winded, instead staring at Ruby with an oddly predatory look in her eyes. There was a hunger etched clear on her face, and Ruby had the distinct feeling that her body was the only thing on the menu.

The thought thrilled her, sending waves of excitement pounding through her veins as butterflies took flight in her stomach.

She'd never had anyone look at her the way Weiss was looking at her, and it was a strangely exciting feeling.

The break in the passionate kiss didn't last long, Weiss sitting up and wrapping her arms around Ruby's hips. Pulling the girl a bit closer into her lap, Weiss leaned forward and began placing soft kisses across Ruby's chest, focusing on her sharply defined collarbones as she nipped and licked at Ruby's sensitive skin.

Ruby tilted her head back, losing herself in the alternating sensation of pain and pleasure as Weiss administered her own brand of attention on the younger girl. Reaching up, Ruby grabbed Weiss' shoulders before slowly sliding her hands up to caress the back of her neck.

A soft gasp broke the silence as Ruby felt Weiss' hot, panting breath ghost over her throat a second before her warm, wet tongue slid up the side of her neck, from collarbone to jawbone.

Soft kisses seemed to burn Ruby's skin as Weiss worked her way back down, stopping only suck gently at her skin near her shoulder before her sharp teeth nipped their way back up to her earlobe.

"God, Weiss, you're driving me insane... " Ruby panted, blunt fingernails digging into the back of Weiss' neck.

Weiss didn't bother with a verbal response. Instead, she slipped her right hand around Ruby's waist, once more sneaking underneath the waistband of her jeans even as her left hand deftly popped the button loose on the front of Ruby's jeans, relaxing the waistband and giving Weiss more room to play.

Now with the waistband of Ruby's jeans giving her some leeway, Weiss shoved her hand deep down the back of Ruby's pants, groping the girl shamelessly.

"Should- nghh... should we move to your bedroom?" Ruby asked, voice roughening as her breathing deepened.

Weiss shook her head, her lips still attached to the side of Ruby's throat. She could feel Ruby's increasing heartbeat pounding through her carotid artery just below the surface, and the thought drove her wild with need as she flicked her tongue over the skin she was sucking on.

"Won't make it." Weiss growled, releasing Ruby momentarily as she felt her own desire beginning to cloud her mind.

"Get on the floor." Weiss commanded, removing her hand from Ruby's pants, much to the girl's dismay.

"What?"

Weiss pushed the girl off her, bucking her hips up as she did, and it was sufficient enough to unbalance Ruby, the girl yelping as she threw her hand out to break her fall to the floor.

Weiss twisted to the side, rolling off the couch and falling to her knees on the floor as she leaned over Ruby, who had wound up on her backside, staring up at Weiss as she propped herself up on her elbows.

Weiss leaned forward and pushed aside the remote that had fallen to the floor earlier, before placing her hand on Ruby's chest and giving the girl a gentle shove.

Ruby took the hint, lying flat on her back as Weiss leaned down, pushing herself between Ruby's legs as she once more kissed the girl hard on the mouth.

Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss' shoulders, pulling Weiss tightly against her body as they kissed, and a second later Weiss began teasingly pushing her hips against Ruby's crotch.

The reaction was immediate as Ruby whined softly into Weiss' mouth. Spreading her legs further and pressing up with her hips to increase the pressure from Weiss' teasing hips, Ruby sought out any kind of contact Weiss was willing to provide.

Weiss smiled against Ruby's lips, pulling her hips back to increase the distance between them. Ruby whined again, a more pathetic one this time, and Weiss broke their kiss, pulling back far enough to mutter, "I'm the one in control, and I'm gonna take my time. If you want it any faster, just try taking it from me."

Ruby shuddered in pleasure as Weiss nipped roughly along her jawline before capturing her lips once more, relenting as she gave herself over to the dominating older girl.

* * *

I hope you all are enjoying so far, much more to come soon, including a shift in the White Rose dynamic. It seems so far that any issues between Blake and Yang are easily solved with a bit of communication, but will that always be the case? Who knows?

... Me. I do. I know. And I'm not telling.

If you enjoyed, or even if you didn't, drop me a review and let me know what you think. Thanks all, and have a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic new year.


	51. Four Oh Three AM

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty-One: 4:03 AM_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

Somewhere in the dormitories of Beacon, a bed rustled softly as a blonde-haired girl stirred, awoken from her deep slumber by a distinct absence of her partner.

Sleepily pushing back the blankets that covered her body, the blonde raised herself up on one elbow and peered blearily over the edge of her bed, down to the small bedside table that separated the team's bunks.

Upon it sat a small clock, proudly shining red numbers into the darkness.

 _4:03 A.M._ It proclaimed, numbers seeming to bounce and jitter as she squinted at them.

Flopping onto her back, she blinked a few times to clear her vision before settling for staring at the ceiling.

An unsettling feeling was forming in her stomach, twisting and constricting until it felt difficult to breathe.

So she focused on her breathing, inhaling deeply through her nose until her lungs felt fit to burst. Holding it for a moment, she exhaled softly, repeating it a few times until the anxiousness in her stomach was replaced with a light, dizzy feeling in her head.

Her breathing slowed until it returned to normal, her chest rising and falling with each full breath as she turned her head to her left.

The bed beside her was empty, the space devoid of all traces of her partner.

Yet, it was still warm.

She placed her hand upon the sheets, comforted by the warmth of them beneath her hand.

Her partner wasn't too far gone.

The muted sound of running water reached her ears. and she turned back to face the ceiling, a myriad of confusing emotions swirling through her. Some that she understood, and others that made no sense at all.

The soft sound of a door opening. Muffled footsteps. A door gently closing, the handle gently clicking into place.

The padding of feet toward her bunk.

Like a wraith in the darkness, Blake appeared beside her, her pale skin seemingly glowing in the night. Her amber eyes were sharp and alert, no traces of sleepiness clouding them. They focused on Yang, pupils dilating slightly as Yang gave her a wan smile.

Blake pulled herself into bed near silently, the soft, creaking protesting of books the only indication that another person had added their weight to the bed.

Slowly she laid down beside Yang, a momentary shuffling the only thing disturbing the quiet as Blake maneuvered her way under the blankets. When she was finally comfortable, she turned onto her side, staring wordlessly at Yang.

Yang copied the gesture, turning onto her left side to face Blake. Instantly, as lilac eyes were captured by soothing gold, Yang felt her anxiety and discomfort fade away. It was as if a switch were flipped, the dark haired girl emanating an aura of comfort that enveloped Yang completely.

Yang relaxed, her eyes half closing as she traced Blake's features in the near darkness of the room.

Blake's lips curved upward at the edges, the faint beginnings of a smile as she watched Yang's half-lidded eyes flit back and forth, up and down.

"Did I wake you?" Blake mouthed near silently, her voice a ghostly whisper to Yang's ears.

"Not intentionally." Yang quipped quietly, her mind still capable of sharp retorts despite the overwhelmingly peaceful feeling fogging her mind as she inhaled the soft scent of Blake.

Blake shuffled a bit closer, her toe gently sliding up and down the curve of the top of Yang's foot. Yang responded to the touch by reaching out with her right hand, burying her fingers in Blake's shirt and gripping it tightly.

"I'm sorry." Blake's voice could barely be heard, and Yang tilted her head a bit closer, sliding closer to Blake on the pillow they shared until gold mixed indiscriminately with shiny black.

"Don't be." Yang breathed. "Just don't leave me... " Her tired, lilac eyes fluttered closed and her breathing softened. "If you don't have to... "

Blake hummed quietly, reaching out and placing her open palm against Yang's stomach. Yang tensed involuntarily at the contact, her strong, defined abdominal muscles hardening beneath Blake's fingers.

Waiting for sleep to claim her, Blake gently toyed with Yang, her fingers tracing the indentations on her stomach, sliding down to the waistband of her shorts before curving back up again, taking in every detail as if it were completely new to her.

"That tickles you know... " Yang whispered softly.

Blake raised her hand from Yang's stomach to gently poke at her nose.

"Mmm, and what are you gonna do about it?" She asked teasingly. There was no response, and she gently poked Yang's nose again. A slight twitch, but nothing else.

Blake giggled despite herself, and poked Yang in the cheek. This time, however, she didn't withdraw, as her eyes traced the soft features of Yang's face. Her finger followed her eyes, sliding down her cheek to her jaw, curving down toward soft, enticing lips...

Blake jumped as Yang sprang to life, lunging forward and catching Blake's finger between her teeth before the startled girl could pull away. Slowly, violet eyes opened to stare at Blake, her mirth evident in the way her eyes shone in the darkness.

"Got'ja." Yang murmured around Blake's ensnared finger, her tongue brushing up against the tip of Blake's finger.

Blake licked her lips slowly as she tried to calm the pounding in her chest, willing to write it off as being surprised by Yang's sudden movement.

"You've always had me." Blake said softly, truthfully.

Yang's jaw slackened, and Blake pulled her finger from Yang's teeth. It was wet with the girl's saliva, and although she briefly considered wiping it on Yang as a sort of playful revenge, she had barely scrapped the idea before her body moved of it's own accord. Her finger found it's way into her own mouth, and she poutily sucked upon it, her tongue lapping up all traces of Yang.

A soft inhale from Yang caught Blake's ears, but Yang wouldn't be outdone so easily.

"Do I taste good?" The blonde purred quietly.

Embarrassment spiked through her, her body temperature skyrocketing as a heat stole across the back of her neck and flushed through her cheeks. Blake shrugged, her response noncommittal.

"That's for me to know." She replied cryptically. Yang smirked, her fingers tightening in Blake's shirt.

"Can I taste you?" Yang spoke before she could stop herself, and she could feel Blake tense up beside her. "Er... " Yang glanced away from Blake, looking for a graceful way to back out of her question. Inwardly she cursed herself, biting her bottom lip as Blake stared at her, her expression unreadable.

"Sorry, that was... " Yang sighed, bringing her eyes back up to meet Blake's, now fully awake and alert.

"That was dumb." She said quietly.

Blake giggled softly, her hand once more returning to press against Yang's heated stomach. They stared at each other for a long moment, Yang contemplating what awkward thing to avoid saying next, and Blake wondering if she would once again turn tail and run away.

Summoning up every last bit of courage she could find swimming in her veins, she gently pushed herself closer to Yang until their thighs were touching. Bowing her head, she rested her forehead against Yang's.

"I... I didn't say _no._ " She murmured quietly, unable to look Yang in the eye as the girl studied her closely, as if she were afraid her ears had misheard.

"So... ?" Yang's voice was soft, but questioning.

Before her courage ran out, Blake tilted her head up and ghosted her lips over Yang's, pulling back and bowing her head as her courage failed, a dark blush running rampant across her cheeks as she mentally cursed herself for the lamest kiss ever.

"Oh." Yang said quietly. She licked her lips slowly. " _Oh._ "

Blake looked up at Yang timidly, trying to gauge the girl's reaction. Yang, however, saw that as a prime opportunity, and gently returned the kiss, pressing her lips against Blake's as she released her grasp on Blake's shirt. Instead, she slipped her arm around Blake's waist, pulling the girl tightly to her as her fervent desire got the better of her.

Blake trembled lightly in Yang's grip, a thousand emotions flooding her mind as she relinquished herself to Yang. Yang took ahold of her, strong, yet curiously gentle, as the blonde explored her lips, coaxing soft moans and content sighs from her. Blake revelled in the feeling of the blonde dominating her with her lips, a soft, yet insistent feeling that set every nerve in her body alight with desire.

When Yang released her, Blake struggled to catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed, and a torrent of happiness flooded her body in a way she'd never quite experienced before. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached up to gently caress Yang's cheek, and she didn't trust her voice not to waver, so she settled for not speaking as she stared into Yang's eyes.

The look of curiosity that had been sparkling in Yang's eyes only moments before had been tempered into something softer, a quiet glow of adoration as she smiled serenely at Blake.

Blake giggled, ducking her head as she pressed her forehead to Yang's throat, clutching the girl close to her.

Yang returned the embrace, clutching Blake tightly to her body as she pulled the blankets up higher over the both of them.

Kissing the top of Blake's head, Yang gently nuzzled against her. Closing her eyes, a wave of calm washed over her. With Blake in her arms, sleep was finding it's way back to her swiftly, and her mind was quickly becoming a confusing, fuzzy jumble of thoughts.

"See you in the morning, Blake." Yang murmured quietly, her words blending together as sleep tightened it's stranglehold on her.

"Whenever you awake, I promise I'll be there." Blake whispered softly. Yang hummed quietly, and Blake gently kissed Yang's collarbone, dropping soft kisses on Yang's skin until the blonde faded into unconsciousness.

Snuggling deep into Yang's arms, Blake fought the tides of exhaustion rolling over her as long as she could, if only to hear Yang's heartbeat for as long as possible.

* * *

Author's note: I have not forgotten about this wonderful fandom! However, I've been extremely busy. Not only with work, but with a new multi-chaptered story. I'm about seven chapters in, maybe 35-40,000 words so far, and I'm just polishing things up before I begin uploading chapters. The occasional one-shots will continue to be uploaded, but right now most of my focus is on my major story. Thank you all for reading this, it's nothing special, but I thought we could all use some cuddly bees.

Thank you and enjoy!


	52. BMBLB

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty-Two: BMBLB_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

Ever since Yang had caught fleeting glimpses of the massive, sprawling gardens from the windows of the airship that had brought them to Beacon Academy on that first, fateful day, she'd been in love with the colorful maze of trees and flowers.

It was nearly two weeks after initiation that she found time to wander down there, the hectic pace that accompanied a new school finally slowing enough to give her some breathing room. She'd ditched her team-mates, Blake offering her a raised eyebrow and nothing more to show she'd even heard Yang's declaration of her desire to explore the academy. She'd promptly lowered her gaze back to her textbook, seemingly indifferent to the blonde.

Weiss had dismissively waved her off, the bare minimum of acknowledgement required to avoid potentially offending her by ignoring her. Not that Yang would have minded, but back then, they were all still trying to get to know each other.

Ruby had jumped up from her seat at the desk at the end of Weiss' bed, triumphantly slamming her textbook closed as she did. Before she could even utter the words, "I'll join you, sis!", however, Weiss had fixed her with a glare so sharp, Yang was surprised Ruby hadn't wilted on the spot.

"Ehh, on second thought Yang, I should probably study... heh. Leader's responsibilities, and all that."

Yang laughed as Ruby sheepishly rubbed at the back of her head before sinking back down into her chair. After fumbling nervously with the pages for a moment, she found her place in her book and began reading once more, a visible slump in her shoulders as she slouched forward in defeat.

"Bye gang!" Yang had called, the door sliding closed as the beginnings of Weiss berating Ruby on the consequences of poor posture reached her ears.

Shaking her head in amusement as the sound was cut off by the sliding door, Yang chose a direction at random and began walking.

* * *

Yang sighed in contentment as she leaned back against a beautifully crafted wooden bench. Crossing her legs at her ankles in what Weiss had more than once called 'most unlady-like', Yang gently tapped the toes of her worn out boots together as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Burning brightly in the sky high above, the sun shone valiantly in an attempt to rival the glow she felt in her chest as she heard the measured, methodical footsteps of someone approaching.

"Never the same place twice, hmm?"

Yang fought down nervous jitters of excitement as Blake's soft, unintentionally sultry voice reached her ears, and she didn't bother opening her eyes as Blake lithely dropped onto the bench beside her on her right.

"Beacon Gardens are huge, why constrain ourselves to just one spot?" Yang answered Blake's question with one of her own, although she truly didn't expect an answer.

It was just as well, because she didn't receive one.

With the sun trying to blind her through her closed eyelids, Yang lowered her head and opened her eyes, blinking a few times to clear some sunspots from her vision.

Inhaling deeply, Yang took a moment to appreciate the scent of lilac and lavender. All around them grew flowers and shrubs of all sorts, greedily absorbing the sun's rays and swaying gently as the occasional breeze swept by. A narrow red brick pathway wound through the gardens, with the occasional turnout populated by a bench and some placards describing the various trees and plants that could be found within Beacon's garden.

"Did you finish that essay for Grimm Studies?" Yang asked quietly, unwilling to break the peaceful silence with her voice.

Blake apparently had the same idea, because she slid a bit closer to Yang, halving the distance between them.

"Do you really want to talk about school work right now?" She asked, her low voice practically a purr.

Yang was acutely aware of Blake leaning in, accidentally brushing their shoulders together in a way that was anything but accidental.

"Not particularly." Yang muttered quietly, her muscles all but melting as the spring sunshine warmed her to her core.

Blake hummed appreciatively, daintily crossing her right leg over her left as she leaned in to press herself against Yang.

Yang's left hand gripped the edge of the bench, fingers clutching it tightly in an attempt to ground herself through concentration and focus. She mentally described the texture to herself over and over, her mind racing as she tried to think of anything but the way Blake was pressed up against her right now.

They had played this game for weeks, it seemed. Yang wasn't sure when it had started, but that almost made it seem more natural, more... real.

It had started with shy glances in the hallway, each of them looking away when they were noticed as if they had a chance at pretending they hadn't just been caught staring. Of course, they both knew, but neither said anything.

Yang had found herself looking for excuses to get close to Blake. At first Yang had considered offering to help Blake with her homework, but after considering her grades versus Blake's for a moment, that seemed laughably transparent. She'd quickly scrapped that idea in favor of taking up an interest in reading. Merely sitting in the same room as Blake, both in complete silence as they read, was almost too much for Yang to handle. Sometimes Blake would pass her a book, recommending it as a good read, and Yang would go out of her way to make sure their hands touched as they exchanged books.

Blake never seemed to mind, shly glancing away to hide an embarrassed smile.

All her life, Yang had been an upfront, confrontational go-getter, but with Blake, it seemed impossible. Any time she got near the girl, she seemed to lose the ability to think rationally. Self-doubt filled her mind and stalled her actions, leaving her a stuttering, nervous mess.

In reality, she was afraid. She was afraid of putting herself out there and getting shot down, so she had resigned herself to play these silly, see-through games until she could work up the confidence to make a move.

Blake, for her part, seemed content to play along, making Yang wonder if she was really imagining it all along.

Blake shifted against Yang, bringing her back to the present. Blake's head now rested against her shoulder, a soft sigh of contentment barely heard over the sharp chirping of a bird.

"I really like it here." Blake murmured quietly. "Especially with you."

Yang's suddenly dry lips parted to form a response, but she felt the words sticking in her throat, so she stopped, unable to speak. She merely nodded, hoping that Blake couldn't hear how hard her heart was pounding, seemingly hell bent on sending as much blood to her cheeks and the back of her neck as possible.

Blake moved once more, tilting her head back and glancing up at Yang.

Before Yang could think better of it, she turned and glanced down at Blake, the girl still leaning against her shoulder and way too close for her own good.

Yang's mind seemed to freeze as she stared down at the girl looking up at her, any thoughts of voicing a coherent sentence shattered. All she could do was stare, and take in every mesmerizing detail.

Blake's skin, a shade darker than her own, was criminally smooth, and virtually flawless. The only markings on her skin were a smattering of adorable freckles that splashed across the bridge of her nose, fading out as they approached her cheeks. Her vibrant bright golden eyes were endless in their depth, threatening to drown Yang if she stared too long. Yang stared in unbridled fascination as Blake's pupils dilated, expanding to take in as much light as possible as her golden irises shrunk away, darkening to a honey color at the edges.

Yang tore her eyes away from Blake's, uncomfortable with how easily Blake managed to make her tongue-tied and mute with just a look. Distracting herself with examining the rest of the girl's beautiful face, Yang glanced down at her lips, the corners of Blake's mouth already lifting in a knowing smirk. Incredibly soft, tantalizing pink lips were set beneath a slender, cute-as-a-button nose, and her upper lip was already lifting in a devious grin to reveal a row of perfectly straight white teeth and a set of lethal, curved canines that were a dead giveaway to the fact that Blake was more than human.

 _Too close!_ Yang thought, her mind panicking. She was too close to Blake- or Blake was too close to her, she wasn't really sure- and she wasn't sure she could keep herself from doing something _incredibly stupid._

Still, Yang was unable to tear her gaze away as Blake teasingly licked her bottom lip, her pink tongue cavorting over alluring, inviting lips much slower than necessary.

Against her better judgement, Yang leaned down, closing the distance between them. Half expecting Blake to pull away, Yang was surpised and pleased when Blake didn't. Instead, Blake giggled nervously, a soft sound that was nothing less than perfect to Yang's ears.

Their foreheads were touching now, razor straight black and curly yellow intermingling freely as Blake shifted a bit closer, closing the last bit of space between them as their thighs and hips gently pressed together.

Yang shifted, putting her right arm over the back of the bench. After a moment's consideration, she moved her arm from the bench of Blake's shoulders, gently pulling the girl closer as her heart beat a nervous rhythm in her chest.

Blake hummed appreciatively as they stared into each other's eyes, the smile on her face and the light in her eyes all the approval Yang needed to know that this was _real_ , that those feelings she had pushed down and tried to ignore over the last while were real.

Blake tilted her head up ever so slightly, gently nudging Yang's nose with her own. Yang hummed quietly, a soft approval that evoked another playful giggle from Blake. Yang returned the affection, tilting her head to the side as she moved in closer, closing her eyes as she paused mere millimeters from Blake's lips.

A soft inhale from Blake reached her ears before the raven-haired beauty closed the remaining distance, pressing her lips tentatively, timidly against Yang's before quickly pulling away.

The kiss, if it could truly be called that, lasted a fraction of a second as they nervously gauged the reaction of the other.

Yang hesitated only a moment before leaning in and kissing Blake again, this time more sure of herself as she realized just how badly she wanted this.

Blake responded in kind, her hands coming up to gently clasp the sides of Yang's face, clutching her as she tilted her head to the side.

Yang, inexperienced though she may be, knew enough to take the hint, deepening the kiss, albeit a bit clumsily.

Blake didn't seem to mind, however, as they took their time exploring each other, melding into the other as if their survival depended on it.

Yang was faintly aware of Blake's hands entangled in her hair, but she couldn't find it in herself to be bothered as she felt herself being pushed backward.

Allowing herself to fall onto the bench, Blake topped her, not breaking the kiss as her body found a comfortable position on top of Yang's.

When they finally parted, red faced and grinning uncontrollably, Blake let out a contented sigh.

"I've been wanting to do that for _weeks._ " Blake whispered softly, staring down at Yang with bright, shimmering eyes.

"You, too?" Yang admitted. She reached up and gently tucked a wild lock of hair behind Blake's right ear. Blake tilted her head into the touch, and Yang cupped her cheek, rubbing her thumb over her flawless skin. Blake's eyelids drooped, and she stared down contentedly at Yang. In the background, birds chirped back and forth to each other, the only other noise in the silent garden that was otherwise broken only by the sound of the two girls trying to calm their breathing.

"So badly." Blake's cheeks darkened at the admission, but she kept her gaze locked on Yang's.

"I had no idea." Yang chuckled.

"Well hopefully you've got a few ideas now." Blake murmured quietly. Yang wrapped her arms around Blake's shoulders and pulled the girl down to her chest, where Blake happily laid her head. Nuzzling into Yang's chest, Blake sighed as she closed her eyes, quite comfortable atop Yang's prone body.

"Are you okay like this?" Blake asked after a moment. "I'm not too heavy, am I?"

Yang's only response was a derisive snort, and her grasp on Blake's shoulders tightening slightly.

"You're fine here."

"Good." Blake murmured, the sunlight on her back already lulling her into a half-asleep stupor. "Cuz I just wanna stay like this for a while. Here, with you."

Yang couldn't formulate a reply, because she wasn't sure how to put what she was feeling into words.

She settled for tilting her head up and kissing Blake atop her head, in front of her bow, before leaning back and closing her eyes.

With her heart swelling with joy and feeling fit to burst, Yang silently wished that this moment would last forever.

* * *

Author's note: I will definitely be adding to, or at least, continuing this, in the future.

This was obviously heavily inspired by the track BMBLB from the Volume 4 soundtrack. While I'm not totally satisfied with the way this one turned out, it gives me a decent base to modify and expand upon.

In the near future I'd like to add a bit more detail and as I continue listening to the track that inspired this, I'll be able to pin down excactly what this story is missing, and hopefully do the song BMBLB some justice. I hope you enjoyed reading it at least, and I'd love it if you would drop me a review letting me know what you think. Thank you for reading!


	53. Four Scars Part Five

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty-Three: Four Scars Part Five_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

You have to blink tears from your eyes to knock the blurriness from your vision as your feet impact the hard ground with a resolute thump. It's not pain, however, that brings a wetness to your cheeks that you scrub away with the back of your hand, mixing them into the sweat and dirt that streaks across your face.

Well, it's a bit of pain. Yet, you think, as you sheath Gambol Shroud, it is also an incredible pleasure.

Your weapon finds its way to your back, leaving your hands free. Immediately they clench into fists to hide their trembling, a familiar sense of pain and pleasure streaking through your body and threatening to overwhelm you and bring you to your knees.

Your body _ached._

Your muscles cried out for rest, your chest hurt from gasping for air, your throat raw as you yelled to your comrades-in-arms.

Blisters that you thought had long ago turned to calluses had appeared on the palms of your hands, splitting open and exposing tender, raw flesh to the rough handle of your weapon. They bled slowly, the blood drying and turning into an abrasive that further irritated your palms.

Your shoulders burned with the exertion of swinging your blade, and the wound on your back that had never truly healed caused your vulnerable back to tense up almost to the point of immobility.

Still, you soldiered on through the pain, because screaming through your body hand-in-hand with the pain was an indescribable pleasure.

The kind of pleasure that made your knees feel weak, as if you might collapse at any moment. The kind of pleasure that made you breathless, robbing you of your ability to think clearly as immense power flowed through your veins like a drug. It blinded you to the ways of mortals, filling your heart and soul with an unyielding desire for _more_.

Your nails dig into tender, bloody palms as you swallow dryly, a shudder passing down your spine and momentarily making you forget about the pain.

"You okay, Blake?"

The sound of Yang's boots scuffing through the dirt to a stop beside you barely registers in your ears, but you're acutely aware of the hand she places on your shoulder.

"Never better." You manage to speak, and she grins brightly at you.

"That's my girl." She says, her hand sliding down your back gently before disappearing as she leaps away, twin shots from her gauntlets propelling her to incredible heights.

The roar of a Goliath reaches your bound ears, and you shake your head to rid yourself of the trance you'd fallen into.

The pleasure that courses through your body is wrought by the realization that there is precious little out there that can take you down. All your training, all the pain you suffered through the years had resulted in turning you into a living weapon of incredible lethality. No matter who or what came at you, you are unstoppable.

With her by your side you are invincible.

In the midst of battle you are a god among mortals, as elusive as a shadow in the dead of night, and there is nothing on Remnant that would stop you.

You are a huntress.

A shiver passes through your body and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Wiping a hand across your forehead, you smear a trail of blood across your skin.

This is what you lived for, you think, as you leap into the air after your team mates.

A simple thought is all it takes, and a shadow-clone materializes beneath you. She winks cheekily at you as you push off her to gain extra altitude, before disappearing as silently as she appeared.

The wind whips through your hair as you soar through the air, sharp eyes scanning the ground below you for traces of the Goliath.

Not that it would be easy to miss, you think wryly to yourself.

A series of familiar explosions reaches your ears, followed by a joyous shout. Yang flashes into view beside you, and you can't keep the grin off your face as you glance at her. She returns the look, adoration shining brightly in her vibrant lilac eyes, and you have to look away before you lose yourself in her gaze.

You feel yourself losing momentum, and before gravity can regain it's hold on you, you summon another clone as easily as breathing.

You launch yourself off her as she disappears, Yang whooping loudly beside you as she begins descending toward the ground below.

Reaching up, you push some wind-blown strands of hair from your eyes as another faint roar reaches your ears.

The immense physical strength and endurance that your aura grants you is your tool in the fight against the Grimm, and it's what you live for.

Golden eyes track a speck of blonde across the ground as your hand closes around the handle of your weapon.

Sliding it out of it's sheath, you allow yourself to fall from the sky as you spot a swathe of decimated trees up ahead.

You might live for the exhilarating, God-like feeling of being a huntress, but you'd die for the blonde girl running across the ground ahead of you.

Without hesitation, you know, you'd sacrifice anything for her.

Your grip tightens on your weapon, and you push yourself harder to catch up with her, intent on protecting her as long as your heart still beats within your chest.

* * *

It is hours later when you and the rest of team RWBY push tiredly through the dormitory door into the room, and you can't help but chuckle quietly to yourself as Weiss pushes Ruby aside in an attempt to claim the bathroom first.

Ruby sought to retaliate, but the shove was enough to unbalance her, sending her sprawling to the floor in a heap of red. She laid there silently on her back, unmoving. Dull silver eyes squinted as they were drawn to the bright LED light in the ceiling.

Yang raised a hand, opening her mouth to protest Weiss' treatment of her little sister, but the bathroom door closed with an authorative 'thud', and the protest died on Yang's tongue. She lowered her hand back to her side, sighing in exhaustion.

"I'll just be a minute!" Weiss' sharp, prickly tone could be heard through the door, heavily laden with exasperation as if the mere thought of being expeditious when there were three other people waiting for a turn was somehow burdening.

It's all you can do to maintain your balance on your feet, even as you support yourself by leaning against the wall. Still, you cannot tear your eyes away from your partner, and she occupies every corner of your mind as you stare at her.

Your gaze follows her intently as she makes her way to your bed. Too tired to crawl up to her own, she flops face down onto your bed with a stifled groan before slowly rolling over onto her back to stare wearily at the bottom of the bunk above her.

You don't have the energy in yourself to even pretend to be displeased with the way she's messing up your immaculate sheets and wrinkle-free blanket. When it's her, you find yourself not caring in the slightest. Instead, a small amount of satisfaction adds the barest hint of a curve to your lips as you note with pleasure that her scent will be all over your bed once more.

Lost in that pleasant thought, your eyes glaze over and you don't notice her sit up and look at you with concern darkening her bright lilac eyes until her voice breaks your concentration.

"Blake?"

It's one word, your name. It's nothing special when spoken by the tens of people who call out to you in the course of a day, but when it rolls off her tongue, nothing sounds sweeter. Hidden inside that solitary word were all the unspoken thoughts you could hear just as plainly as if she were shouting.

 _Are you okay? Are you in pain? What can I do to help you?_

Her voice was as powerful as any summoning spell you've ever witnessed, and you're drawn to her. You carefully step around Ruby splayed out on the floor, and she grunts weakly as you temporarily block out the light in passing.

Lilac eyes follow you carefully, and you return the look, hoping that she can pick up on a tenth, or a hundredth, even, of the love you feel for her.

You reach her, and the concern on her face melts away. It's replaced by a bright smile as she reaches out to grab your hips when you kneel upon the bed in front of her.

Your hands come up to rest on her shoulders and the distance separating you two shrinks as she pulls you gently closer. You don't resist, and you touch your forehead to hers as her hands slip under the hem of your shirt to caress your bare skin. Her fingers dance skillfully up and down your back as best she can in the position you're in, and you smile gratefully at her even as you involuntarily tense up when her fingers lightly pass over the scar at the base of your spine.

You open your mouth to speak, but the sound of the bathroom door opening cuts you off. The look in Yang's eyes reflect exactly what you're thinking, and before she can ask, you're nodding.

She grins widely, and releases her grip on you. You push yourself up off the bed onto your feet, your hand finding hers as you tug her along.

"Sorry, Rubes!" Yang calls lightly, hopping over her sister as you and her move toward the bathroom.

"Hey!" Ruby yelped, attempting to scrabble to her feet, but it was a lost cause as you glance over your shoulder at her, shrugging apologetically. Weiss throws the two of you a questioning glance as you dash by, but you ignore it.

"We'll be quick." You say it with the best intentions, but the chuckle that Yang tries to hide proves you both know you're lying. You'd feel bad, if being with Yang didn't make you feel so damn good.

The bathroom door closes behind you, and immediately Yang presses you up against it. Her hands briefly caress your shoulders before sliding down your arms to your waist. There, she finds the hem of your shirt. As she's about to remove it, however, you're struck by a sudden flash of guilt as you realize that, more often than not, it's always her taking care of you. You love that she's so deeply in tune with your needs and desires, but the guilt is ever-present as you try to shove down the aching pain in your body that you know Yang is dying to make better.

Determined to reciprocate and show Yang how much you truly love her, you place your hands on hers and stop her. She looks at you questioningly, confusion clear on her face, and you smile demurely, leaning forward to place a soft kiss upon her lips.

"There will be time for me later, if you want. For now, let me show you how much I care about you." Your voice is but a whisper, but she hangs on your every word. She hesitates for a moment, and you're sure she's fighting the caring, nurturing instinct that seems to be built into the very essence of her being. That nurturing, loving instinct that she possessed was easily half, if not most, of the reason that Ruby turned out so well despite her circumstances, being carefully guided and helped through life by her sister after the passing of her mother.

You were sure it wasn't an easy decision for her to relinquish control to you, her desire to ensure your well-being only slightly overridden by her desire to grant you any request you could make.

Finally she nods, releasing her grasp on your shirt. You smile in appreciation, leaning in for one more quick kiss on her lips.

"I'm all yours." Yang speaks quietly, and you can practically _feel_ the double meaning behind her words.

A wave of pleasure rolls through you at the sentiment.. A quick glance around the bathroom shows that Weiss, as expected, left it as immaculate as she had found it, if not moreso.

You reach out and gently take her hand in your own, rubbing your thumb over the back of her hand as you gently lead her toward the shower.

"You fought hard today." You whisper meekly, avoiding her gaze in favor of turning on the shower, fiddling with the settings as she tried to get the temperature just right.

"We all did." Yang agreed, squeezing your hand.

"There's really no greater feeling than being a huntress, is there?" You ask thoughtfully, waving your free hand under the stream of water as you gauge the temperature.

Yang hums non-committedly beside you. "I can think of one." She stares pointedly at you, and you shy away from her look as embarrassment threatens to betray you. You give your ears a twitch beneath your bow, and Yang's gaze is pulled to it, as you knew it would be.

Finally, the water is to your liking, and you straighten up, turning to face your partner head on. Her eyes slowly lower from your bow to your eyes. When she meets your gaze, you feel your breath catch in your chest, a small blush rising to your cheeks in embarrassment. Even after all this time, she still has that kind of effect on you.

You know in your heart that she always will.

You're very careful when you pull her shirt up over her head, not willing to risk tugging or pulling on her hair. She's told you many times that she doesn't mind it if it's you, but because it's you, and because it's her, it's all the more reason to be extra careful.

The shirt peels off her with surprising ease for how tightly it clung to her body. A spandex type material, you note, stretching it between your fingers before discarding it onto the bathroom sink.

Yang shakes out her glorious golden mane, her voluptuous chest swaying side to side despite the best efforts made by her bra to contain it.

Yang might appear to be an uncoordinated wreck, a bull in a china shop as it were, when she fought, but she went to great lengths to protect her hair. An unintended side-effect of that was more often than not, the rest of her made it out unscathed as well.

Despite the sweat that was dried to her skin and a small smear of grime on the underside of her jaw, she was virtually untouched and totally clean, a far cry from the appearance her younger sister currently bore.

You slip a bit closer to her, the sound of your feet sliding against the floor masked by the running water. Your hands find the clasp of her bra and you deftly unhook it. She has no sly remark for you, but she does take advantage of your close proximity to drop light kiss after kiss onto the top of your head.

Sometimes, you really enjoy being a bit shorter than her.

The bra falls away from her chest, and it joins her shirt on the counter.

You try your best not to stare, but it's understandably difficult. Plus, you think, as you glance shyly down at her chest, you are fairly certain she'd be mildly offended if you _didn't_ look.

That thought is quickly affirmed when Yang reaches up and teasingly caresses her breasts in her hands, pushing them together and pinching her nipples between her thumbs and fingers.

"They're all yours, Blakey." She whispers quietly. "I'm all yours."

Your first instinct is to set yourself upon her, but you turn down her invitation in favour of continuing onward. She smirks as she can clearly see the desire that must show upon your face, but you slowly lick your dry lips and press on.

You tilt your head up and kiss her on the mouth as you slide a bit closer to her, her perky chest pressing against your own as she moans softly against your lips. Your hands find her bare back, and you drag your fingertips lightly down her spine, a shiver your reward as she trembles beneath your touch.

Your fingers find the waistband of her black shorts and you deftly tuck them underneath. Folding the waistband down, you gently slip her shorts off as you kneel down, breaking the kiss just long enough for your lips to trail down her body, kissing her throat, her chest, her flat stomach, and finally her navel. Her head tilts back and she sighs in what you can only guess is a mixture of pleasure and anticipation.

Still kneeling, your hands slowly trail up her legs, caressing the inside of her thighs with your thumbs before sliding around to gently squeeze her ass. Yang hums appreciatively at the touch, and you take a second to really grope her shamelessly before tentatively hooking your thumbs in her less than modest panties.

You glance up at her, biting your lip as you look to her for confirmation. She nods, and you slowly pull her panties down her strong, toned legs to join her shorts on the floor.

Yang raises her left leg and kicks the unneeded clothing away, and you take advantage of the movement, hooking your arm under her leg and holding it elevated. She leans back against the sink and tries to stifle a gasp as your lips find their way to her inner thigh, soft kisses trailing their way up her smooth, flawless skin.

The feral, animalistic side of you urges you to go further than you ever have before with Yang, the scent of her naked sex inches from your nose and mouth practically urging you to dip your head down and slide your tongue up between her legs.

The beginnings of arousal flash through you, and you push those feelings down as you push yourself to your feet, your lips leaving her thigh and your hands leaving her legs in favor of wrapping around her neck, pulling her in for a heated kiss that was very different from the one you shared moments ago.

You bite urgently at her bottom lip, and she moans in surprise, tilting her head and parting her lips as your tongue forces it's way into her mouth.

The fevered kiss lasts for a long moment before you pull away, glancing at the empty shower as Yang murmurs your name.

"Come." You command softly, pulling her toward the shower. You release her only long enough to frantically tear off your own clothes, and you see her watching you from the corner of your eye, mild amusement etched onto her face along with another emotion you cannot quite identify.

When you're naked, you step into the shower, beckoning for her to follow. She doesn't hesitate, and you pull the shower curtain closed as she pushes herself closer to you.

"You're awfully riled up tonight, Blake." Yang's voice is low, and she raises her hands defensively as she speaks again. "Not that I'm complaining, though." She clarifies.

You barely hear her words as you struggle to contain the feelings rolling through your body. It had started off innocently enough, your offer to wash her body, and you had no idea it would turn into this. You weren't surprised, however, as every single one of your encounters had been so thick with sexual tension and desire that you could practically feel it.

Yang seemed to be getting the best of you tonight, however. In your exhausted state, your mental guard was down and it was hard to keep your emotions in check. Your only concern was the well-being of your partner, and as you turned yourself over to the instinct-driven part of your mind, it had some very interesting ideas for taking care of your blonde partner.

You can feel your cheeks burning at the thought, and your mind betrays you as it wonders what Yang tastes like, and how close you were to getting a taste.

You force yourself to focus on anything but that thought, and you turn your attention to the hot water raining down on your skin. With a shake of your head, you attempt to dispel the lewd thoughts running rampant through your brain, and you turn toward your partner.

The water has thoroughly drenched her by now, and her golden mane is a tad bit darker for it. Water runs in rivulets down her face, but it does nothing to dull the happiness in her eyes as she stares back at you.

Your eyes fall to a familiar loofah sitting on the shelf near the edge of the tub, but the thought of rubbing Yang down with that separating skin to skin contact does nothing to quell the desire to be ever closer to her that burns in your heart.

The Faunus in you knows exactly how to show her the depths of your love.

You place your hands on her shoulders and begin rubbing slowly, and her eyes drift closed as she relaxes into your touch.

Every curve of her body is a work of art, and every taut muscle straining just below the surface of soft, supple flesh hints at the raw destructive power she was capable of bringing to bear on her enemies. Your eyes fall from her shoulders to her arms, openly admiring the way they looked as they lead into proud, robust forearms.

Nothing about her was overtly muscular, you noted with fascination; rather, she had just the right amount of muscle right where she needed it, and nothing more. She was as efficient as she could be for her size, granting her just the amount of strength she needed to be as nimble as she was.

Streams of water ran down her body in a tantalizing waterfall, teasing you as it curved left and right around the dips and rises of her body. Over her cheek, down her throat; a gentle rise over her collarbone before plummeting down between her soft, inviting breasts. There it disappeared, and your eyes lowered further as it emerged beneath her chest, cascading down her stomach, rising and falling rapidly over her abs before disappearing down between her legs, the smooth skin of her navel and below tempting both your tongue and your teeth.

"See something you like?" Yang's teasing voice reaches your ears, and you run your tongue over your fangs in an attempt to placate yourself as you raise your gaze to meet hers. The look in her eyes is playful, and it's obvious that she doesn't mind your staring.

"I see something I love." Your response is quiet, but you can tell by the widening of her eyes that she's heard you. Before she can respond, however, your left hand leaves her shoulder and your fingers find their way to her lips, silencing her.

She nods in understanding, and you let your finger slip from her plump, soft, oh-so-inviting lips to her jawline, where you follow it back to her neck. There, your fingers wrap gently around her throat, squeezing just enough for her to swallow roughly, the movement of her throat evident against the palm of your hand. The statement you were making was clear.

She was yours.

You pull her head to the side and kiss the side of her throat. Gently at first, small kisses that have her responding by running her fingertips up and down your backside. You knew that was her favourite part of you, and you took an exceptional amount of pride in that.

You tighten your backside by pushing yourself up on your tip-toes and squeezing your glutes, and she practically melts in response, her hands moving to full on grope you now. She's giggling in your ear, and it's the kind of pleasing sound that you want to hear for the rest of your life.

Your quick kisses devolve into slow, languid kisses, the kind where you suck gently upon her skin, not caring about what kind of mark it'll leave as she writhes pleasurably in your arms. Her giggles turn into soft moans, and you trade the sucking for licking as you pass your tongue over her throat in long, slow strokes.

She clutches you tightly now, because it's all she can do to keep her balance and not collapse. You've known for a while that her throat is her weak spot, and the easiest way to get her riled up.

You release your grip on her throat, but soon find your hands full again as you gently squeeze her breasts, pinching and teasing her hard nipples without remorse as she breathily moans your name.

Your mouth replaces your right hand, and she tilts her head back, her moans turning into frustrated whines as your hand falls to caress her stomach. You flirt with the boundaries of your relationship as your fingertips ghost between her legs, catching the barest sensation of a different kind of wet before you chicken out and you reach around to grope her ass.

"Ungh... God Blake, don't... don't tease me like that."

Her voice is low and breathy, and you take no small amount of pride in the fact that you're the one to make her sound like that.

With your desire to clean her still at the forefront of your mind, you slowly lower yourself to your knees. Yang must have had something else in mind, because she tries to say something but stumbles over her words.

You smirk, and reach up to grab a bottle of bodywash. She falls silent, settling on watching you curiously as you glance up at her, pushing your waterlogged hair out of your face before squirting a small amount of the peppermint scented bodywash into your hand.

You slowly work it into a lather between your palms, and you can't stop the grin that spreads across your face as you realize that she's enraptured by the slow, deliberate movements of your fingers sliding across each other as you work the lotion between your hands. It's barely noticeable in the shower, but a dark blush has tinted her cheeks.

Finally, you reach out and place your hands on her hips. Leaning forward, you kiss her flat stomach as you run your soapy hands up and down her body, making sure to get every inch of her back and stomach. You let your hands slip a bit closer to the junction between her legs with each soapy pass, wanting to see how close you can get before she stops you or you stop yourself.

She makes no move to stop you though, and as you glance up at her, you see that her eyes are squeezed shut and her head is tilted to the side, a hand pressed to her mouth as her body trembles beneath your touch.

Carefully, slowly, you slide your hand down between her legs, and her whole body shakes as she reaches down to grab your shoulder. Her nails dig into your wet skin, but she still makes no move to stop you as you rub your hand back and forth, your middle finger teasing the slit between her folds.

"Ohhh... Blake... "

You love the sound of your name on her lips, and while you're tempted to push your luck, you tell yourself that you're merely washing her, a lie that serves no purpose but to test your resolve as you push yourself to your feet once more. Your hand lingers between her legs a bit longer than necessary, but not as long as you would have liked, before slipping out. Rinsing the soap off your fingers underneath the stream of hot water, you're temporarily paralysed by the scent of her arousal as it floods your nose. You want so badly to trade your fingers for your tongue, the desire to taste her completely wreaking havoc with your ability to think clearly. The thought of licking your fingers briefly enters your mind, but you're dissuaded by the thought of the taste of her being overridden by the bitter soap that still clung to your skin.

Squirting a bit more soap onto your hand, you rub it into a lather as you squeeze your own legs together in an attempt to suppress your own heightened arousal.

Reaching out, you pick up where you left off, running your soapy hands all over her body and lingering on her chest for a while longer than strictly necessary, her cute moans of pleasure and curses of frustration pleasing you more than you ever thought possible.

With the thought of saving her hair for last, you whisper in her ear. She obeys, turning around and presenting her back to you.

Once more your hands cavort over her naked body, rubbing every inch of her skin as you drink in every detail of her exquisite form.

When your hands reach her backside she shifts, raising her right leg and placing it on the edge of the rub. She pushes her hips out toward you, and you tease her mercilessly as your fingertips trail over her perfect, round ass. Reaching underneath, your fingertips tickle the inside of her thigh, and she responds by reaching down and capturing your hand with hers.

She looks over her shoulder at you, daring you to resist, but you know better. Slowly, she moves your hand until it's pressed against her crotch, and you feel a different kind of heat that has nothing to do with the temperature of the water.

You apply a gentle pressure with your hand, and she tenses, leaning against the shower wall as she releases her grip on your hand. Her head is bowed and you can see her back rising and falling with her deep breaths, but you draw the agony out a bit further as you refuse to move, knowing full well she wants nothing more than the roughest treatment you could give her.

"Ohh God Blake please, don't tease me like that... "

Your teeth dig painfully into your bottom lip as you contemplate your next move, and the mild pain helps clear your mind for a moment as you reach out with your free hand and grab a fistful of Yang's hair. Giving it a sharp tug, she gasps as she straightens up, and you pull her back to your chest as your teeth find her throat.

Sinking your canines low into the base of her throat, you tighten your grip on her hair as you gently slide your middle finger as deep as you can inside her.

* * *

Author's note: My poor mini-series is no longer innocent and lovey-dovey and that makes me sad! Although, given the fact that they showered so frequently together, this was bound to happen. Naughty sex next chapter maybe? Let me know what you want.

Also, my bad for having a terrible upload schedule. Work is insane. So. Busy.


	54. Holding On To You

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty-Four: Holding On To You_

 _BumbleBY, White Rose_

* * *

 _"Hey, Blake?" Yang asked, readjusting in her seat as she felt her right leg beginning to numb._

 _The raven haired beauty beside her didn't respond, but her bow twitched, proof that Blake had heard her. Yang pretended not to notice, however. Partially because it was fun to annoy the girl. Mostly because she liked the way Blake's name sounded on her lips._

 _"Blaaaaake."_

 _"Hn." The girl made a small sound in the back of her throat, but still, her eyes never left the book she was reading. It lay flat on the table in front of her, and Blake bent over it studiously, in a position that Yang couldn't begin to think of as even remotely comfortable. That didn't stop Blake from looking absolutely blissful, however._

 _"Is Blake home?" Yang asked quietly, taking this opportunity to really stare at Blake._

 _"Hn." Was Blake's distant response, her eyes tracking steadily across the pages._

 _"Blake, I'm pregnant."_

 _"Yeah... " Blake turned the page, not looking up as she continued reading uninterrupted, seemingly unphased by Yang's vocal interjections._

 _Yang sighed in mildly exasperated amusement. She propped her elbow on the table, and rested her cheek in her palm as she stared openly and unabashedly at the Faunus._

 _"Sun is the father."_

 _Blake had no response for that, and Yang feared she had lost the raven-haired girl to a particularly interesting passage in her book._

 _Normally, the only way to get Blake to ignore a book was to physically remove the book from her hands, but Yang felt like that was cheating. It was more interesting to see which buzzwords could penetrate the haze of her mind, tearing through her fantasy world to pull her back to reality._

 _"He said once I have the baby... we have to give it up."_

 _"Mm."_

 _"To the White Fang."_

 _Blake blinked, and Yang grinned as the spell was sucessfully broken._

 _Granted, using the White Fang was kind of cheating, but what she wanted to talk about was important, so it felt justified._

 _Blake put her book down on the table, gently laying it upside down on the table to preserve her spot. Reaching up to tuck a few runaway strands of hair behind her ear, she straightened up in her chair before turning to look at Yang._

 _"Sorry, I was distracted by the book. What were you saying?" Blake raised serious, golden eyes to meet Yang's mischevious lavender._

 _Yang glanced away, her eyes falling to the table. She was unable to handle such an intense look for so long. Not from Blake, anyway._

 _"I... uh... I was saying that... "_

 _Blake reached out and gently laid her hand on Yang's._

 _"What is it? You can tell me." Her voice was low, comforting. The very sound of it sent shivers down Yang's back. Blake's voice had always carried the quiet strength borne of an arduous past. Her tone was metallic, having been bent this way and that by the immense forces in her life, but she was far from broken. If anything, she was much harder, and far stronger than she ever used to be._

 _"I wanted to ask you a question." Yang spoke carefully. She wasn't sure how to convey the seriousness of what she wanted to ask without explicitly stating such, but it seemed she didn't have to._

 _Blake nodded, turning in her chair until she was fully facing Yang._

 _"Anything, Yang. I'm your partner. I'm here for you, as you are for me."_

 _Yang almost faltered at that. Uncertainty tore through her, unstoppable as any dust-fueled forest fire in the middle of summer. She could feel her confidence rapidly burning up under Blake's molten gaze, the heat stealing her breath away and making it difficult to think._

 _"Blake, I... I wanted to know... what would you do in my situation."_

 _"What situation would that be?"_

 _Yang was grateful for the blonde lion's mane that covered her neck right now, otherwise she was sure that Blake would be able to feel the heat radiating off her skin._

 _"There's someone- a person - that I like. They're really great, perfect actually, and I have no idea what to do about it."_

 _Blake smiled, this adorable, crooked expression that melted Yang's heart._

 _"C'mon, Yang. This isn't junior high school. You're an adult. Surely you can handle a little crush."_

 _Yang bit her bottom lip, slowly pulling her hand out from underneath Blake's in an attempt to convey how serious this was._

 _"I'm not kidding, Blake. This is important stuff. And this isn't a little crush. I've never felt the way I do about someone before, and I feel like it's eating me from the inside out."_

 _Blake sat up a bit straighter at that, taking a moment to look Yang up and down._

 _"You're serious." Blake spoke after a moment's contemplation._

 _"I'm dead serious, Blake." Yang shrugged her shoulders helplessly._

 _"These feelings are non stop, twenty-four seven. First thing I feel when I wake up, last thing I think of before I fall asleep. If I fall asleep at all."_

 _"So what do you want from me, then?" Blake asked curiously._

 _Yang gestured toward Blake._

 _"I-just-" Yang fumbled for the right words. "Help me." She settled on those two pathetic words._

 _Blake's golden eyes flitted back and forth between Yang's wide, helpless lavender._

 _"How?"_

 _Yang sighed in frustration._

 _"What would you do?" She asked. "Have you ever been so thoroughly consumed by thoughts that you can't get out of your head? I see a clear ending that I want to achieve, but no discernible wayto get there."_

 _Blake stared deadpan at Yang for a moment, and Yang stared back unblinkingly._

 _"Yang, really?"_

 _"What?" Yang's tone of bewilderment quickly shifted to one of understanding._

 _"Ahh, right. The whole Adam thing." Yang looked down to her mechanical arm, covered by a cyber-synthetic skin. Nearly indistinguishable from her flesh and blood arm at this point, it was nothing but a bad memory she only occasionally dreamt of. It had happened so long ago, that she barely thought of it anymore. Yet, now that she thought of it, she remembered the mental torture that Blake had put herself through. It was the closest the team had ever come to losing her, and it wasn't because of any close calls with a Grimm._

 _"What I would do... " Blake pursed her lips as she thought for a moment._

 _"If it's more serious than a passing crush, and based on the way you're acting, I'm certain that it is, then you need to act."_

 _Blake reached out and gently stroked Yang's cheek, finger twirling a curly strand of blonde hair before tucking it behind Yang's ear. Letting her hand fall down to rest atop Yang's prosthetic, she squeezed gently._

 _"My best friend once told me to chase whatever it was that I wanted, with such passion and wildly reckless abandon that there was no way anything could be left to chance or fate. If this person means so much to you, then you need to take your own advice, and go after them with everything in your heart and soul. Don't leave yourself wondering for the rest of your life, and don't ever leave it up to chance. Who knows? This person could be the best thing to ever happen to you."_

 _Yang smiled weakly._

 _"I'm usually not one to be intimidated by the thought of rejection. I know that I'm not for everyone, and not everyone is for me. But damn, Blake, the idea of being turned down is almost worse than the idea of not asking."_

 _Blake smiled demurely._

 _"I must say, I never thought I'd see the day when the great Xiao-Long was intimidated by anything or anyone. I'm a little impressed. Do I get to meet this scary person?"_

 _Yang brushed aside the question with a shake of her head. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when no words seemed to be forthcoming._

 _"As much as I find your impression of a fish endearing, and also slightly offensive, it also has me worried." Blake spoke softly. Her eyes traced Yang's features carefully, searching her for... for what, exactly, she wasn't sure._

 _"I've never seen you so perturbed by the lack of a plan before. So Yang, here is what you do. Put it all out of your mind tonight. Go take a shower, then go to bed. Get some restful sleep. Tomorrow, we will go on our regularly scheduled mission. When we return, flying on our adrenaline fueled battle high, you will find this person and profess your undying love for them. And if you need, I'll be right beside you the whole time. I'll even hold your hand." Blake teased._

 _Yang laughed, a shaky sound that didn't quite feel right. Before Blake could question her on it, however, Yang pushed herself up from the table._

 _"You're going to stay up?" Yang asked, secretly hoping Blake would walk back with her._

 _Blake smiled apologetically. "I'm gonna finish my chapter. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"_

 _"I-" Yang paused, then nodded. "Okay." She regretfully relented. "I'll see you tomorrow, Blake."_

 _Blake's smiled stretched into a toothy grin._

 _"See you tomorrow, Yang. Sleep well."_

 _Yang nodded slowly, slipping her hands into her pockets. Turning on her heel, she plodded slowly out of the room, disappearing around the corner._

 _"Sweet dreams." Blake murmured quietly, looking back to her book._

 _Instead of picking it up, she buried her face in her hands, doing whatever she could to hold back tears._

* * *

As was longstanding routine by now, Yang reached into her pocket and pulled out her scroll. Pulling up Blake's name at the top of her screen, her most recent message recipient, she swiftly tapped out a quick message.

 _I had canteloupe for breakfast today. It was weird. What even is canteloupe?_

Closing her scroll, she set it down on the table. Setting down the fork that she had been holding in her other hand, she looked up in time to see Ruby and Weiss swiftly looking away.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"Nothing." Ruby spoke meekly, and Weiss rolled her eyes at Ruby's response.

"Yang-"

"Weiiiiiiss..." Ruby whined.

Weiss held her arm across Ruby's chest, as if she could physically hold back the brunette's protests. Raising her voice slightly to be heard over the background din of the restaurant, she sternly addressed her girlfriend's sister.

"Yang, you text her _every_ little thing you do. It's a little much, don't you think?"

Yang leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at Weiss.

"I don't think it's a little much at all, Weiss." Yang spoke evenly. "I'm merely keeping her up to date on the day to day happenings. I prefer to think that she rather enjoys it."

"Well, it's-"

"Let's just drop it." Ruby spoke, interrupting Weiss. Before the white-haired girl could protest, Ruby crossed her arms over her chest.

"Team leader orders." She seemed a bit too proud of that, but nonetheless, Weiss relented.

"Fine." Weiss begrudgingly allowed.

"Thanks, sis." Yang grinned winningly at her sister, and Ruby giggled.

"Well, " Yang spoke, switching to a different topic of choice, "I'm gonna head back to the house and get ready for the hunt. Whenever you guys are done, give me a call and we'll meet up somewhere."

Pushing herself up from the table, she grabbed her scroll and slipped it into her pocket. Pulling out a handful of worn bills, she selected a few and dropped them on the table beside her plate.

"See you guys later." Yang called, throwing a wave over her shoulder. Reaching up with both hands, she snugged up the black ribbon holding her long blonde hair in a neat, tidy ponytail.

Weiss sighed tiredly as she watched Yang recede.

"What are we gonna do with that girl?"

Ruby took advantage of Weiss' distraction to reach over and stick her finger in the whipped cream that adorned Weiss' barely touched stack of pancakes.

"We aren't gonna do anything, Weiss. She's fine. She's in love. Tell me you wouldn't do the same."

Weiss turned to Ruby to object, but was met with a sticky finger that spread whipped cream all over her nose and cheek.

"Wha-ugh! Ruby Rose!"

Ruby leaned back in her seat as she giggled, snatching up all the available napkins from the table and holding them hostage against her chest.

"I love it when you say my name like that." Ruby teased, breaking out into laughter as Weiss tried to wipe the sticky mess off her face with her hands.

"Ruby, give me a napkin or I swear I will end you."

"Pfft. Your empty threats don't scare me!"

Weiss raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh, really now?"

Ruby paused, suddenly looking a bit more unsure than she did a second ago.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure they don't scare me."

An evil grin spread across Weiss' face as she slowly leaned in close to Ruby, her lips brushing against Ruby's ear.

 _"Oh, Ruby Rose... you're right. You shouldn't be afraid of what I'll do to you. You should be very afraid of what I won't do to you."_

Turning her head to the side, Weiss placed a dainty kiss just below Ruby's ear, taking immense satisfaction at the shiver that ran through her girlfriend's body. Pulling away, she casually yanked a napkin out of Ruby's limp grasp. Wiping her face off with the rough, white napkin, she pretended to ignore Ruby as the girl practically melted, sliding across the restaurant booth to press up against Weiss' side.

 _"Weiss, you_ know _what kissing my neck does to me."_ Ruby whispered furiously.

Weiss hummed disinterestedly, focusing her attention on making sure she removed all traces of the sticky cream from her nose and cheek.

"You've brought this misfortune down upon your shoulders, Ruby. Bear the consequences."

Ruby glanced around the restaurant, and satisfied that they were largely being ignored, snuck her hand into Weiss' lap underneath the table. Leaning against Weiss's shoulder, she tucked her face into the crook of Weiss' neck.

 _"I'd rather bring your legs down on my shoulders."_ Ruby whispered softly.

Weiss tried her best to ignore the vivid mental images cavorting through her mind, but it was a losing battle as Ruby's hand gripped her inner thigh, slender fingers reaching wholly inappropriate places.

Biting her lip, Weiss closed her eyes as she mentally checked the remaining balance of willpower she had left.

It was a Friday, and Ruby was really warm. Their house had a large, inviting bed, and Ruby, in more ways than one, reminded her of a puppy dog, so willing to please, and not afraid to lick.

Shuddering at the terrible comparison she'd just drawn, and deciding to keep that one to herself, she raised her left arm and flagged down a passing waitress.

"Check please. We're in a hurry."

* * *

 _We have a hunt today. I know you worry, but it's a small one. If I'm being honest, Weiss could probably handle the whole thing herself, and she's got more of a support role than anyone I know._

Yang slipped her scroll into her pocket as she approached the door to her house. Having decided long ago that nothing in her house held any value to her, she'd foregone locking the door.

If anyone wanted to steal anything of hers, and they were determined enough, they'd find a way in. She'd prefer they just steal her stuff, rather than break her door down and then steal her stuff.

Pushing her way inside, a cursory glance showed that her sparsely furnished house was intact.

After all, who would be stupid enough to steal from one of the Legendary Four, the group that had taken down the malevolent forces of evil that had terrorized Remnant for so long.

Kicking the door closed with her heel, she tossed her keys on the stand against the wall in the front entrance. Pulling out her scroll once more, she smiled to herself as she clicked on Blake's name.

 _Also, I'm not completely sure yet, but I think my sister and Weiss are dating. I don't have any concrete evidence of it yet, but I just know, ya know?_

Yang made her way to the bathroom where she had already laid out her hunting gear before she had even left the house this morning. Pulling back the shower curtain, she flicked on the water. Turning the dial to 'hot', she let it run for a few minutes as she slowly pulled off all of her clothes.

Blake always used to make fun of her for it, but it was habit. Before every hunt, Yang took some time to shower and clear her head of any distracting thoughts. Blake asked why she was bothering to clean herself off before she went to get full of blood and dirt, and Yang had always responded that she wasn't cleaning her body as much as she was cleaning her mind.

Blake would just smile, and say nothing.

Yang glanced at her scroll laying on the sink, then looked to the shower. Smiling wryly to herself, she picked up her scroll.

 _I know what you're thinking, and yes. I am showering before I go out on the hunt today. I've got a lot on my mind, and it'll do me good. I'll text you when I get out._

Yang's fingers hovered over the 'send' button, but she paused. Going back up to the text box, she tentatively entered, _I love you_.

Yang stared at those three innocent little words, the sound of hissing water barely audible over the roar of her thoughts. All those years ago, she'd never gotten up the courage to tell Blake how she truly felt.

It would seem that today was no different. A secret she would carry to her grave, three simple words that she couldn't seem to speak no matter how hard she tried.

Her finger hovered over the button, trembling a bit more than she was really proud of.

"Not today... " She whispered to herself. Deleting those three words that seemed so impossible to say, she sent the original message. Setting her scroll down, she climbed into the shower. Turning the temperature up as high as she could handle, she let the scalding water burn away her thoughts.

Today's hunt would do her well, she knew. It had been a while since she'd gotten out, and it had been even longer since she'd really pushed herself. Today might be an easy mission, with easy targets, but that meant nothing to her. She was going to rain down all manner of fury and hellfire upon her foes today.

She smirked as she turned an idea over in her head. Maybe she'd spend the hunt kill-stealing from Weiss. It always infuriated the girl, and Yang knew that today would be no exception. Ruby always got a kick out of it, and a fuming Weiss was always hilarious.

Chuckling to herself, she closed her eyes as she leaned up against the shower wall.

Yeah, it would do her a world of good to take out her frustrations on some unfortunate Grimm today.

The sound of her scroll beeping alerted her to a text message, and she was pulled from her thoughts.

"Weiss and Ruby finished getting ready sooner than I thought." Yang murmured to herself.

"Maybe I'm way off base with those two. Maybe they aren't together? Maybe they just live together to save money, like they say."

Talking to herself was something Yang had done for years now, a habit she had picked up almost without noticing.

She had become aware of it when Weiss had pointed it out, and now she couldn't _not_ notice it.

It didn't bother her, she just seemed to be more acutely aware of it.

Unsure of what to think about her sister and Weiss, Yang let the hot water pound down upon her hair. Running her fingers through her soaking wet hair, she scratched gently at her skull before turning around to let the water tickle at her back for a while.

* * *

It was almost an hour later when Yang stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a thick towel from the rack on the wall, she wrapped it around her body before slapping at the switch that activated the fan.

The mirror was steamed up, a constant result of her continually forgetting to run the fan while showering.

Passing her hand across the surface of the mirror, she wiped away the condensation before letting her eyes fall to her scroll.

"Wonder what those two wanted?"

Picking it up, she pressed the button on the bottom of the scroll.

Immediately, the scroll lit up, showing her a single alert.

 _Message: Blake Belladonna_

The scroll slipped from her loose grasp, clattering loudly to the floor.

"That... "

Yang felt her knees go weak as blood pounded harshly in her head, an intense pressure that threatened to overwhelm her and make her pass out.

Giving in to the weakness in her knees, she crashed painfully to the hard tile floor. Unable to speak, unable to breathe, she looked around the bathroom for some sort of... something. Something to assure her that she'd fallen asleep in the shower somehow and was currently dreaming.

But, she knew she wasn't dreaming. Her left leg was bent painfully underneath her, the top of her foot being pressed roughly against the unforgiving white tile.

Blackness crept into the edges of her vision, the pounding in her head growing in both force and tempo.

"That... isn't... "

Her own voice sounded foreign to her ears, distant and too high-pitched. She didn't recognize it as her own, and she refused to believe she had even spoken.

Her heart felt like it was going to explode. It hammered mercilessly in her chest, reminding her with every frantic beat that this was real, she wasn't dreaming.

Looking around, feeling disconnected from reality, and at the same time, too painfully aware of it, she spotted her scroll laying face down on the bathroom floor.

Ignoring the pain in her left leg, she leaned forward to grab it.

Her fingers slipped against the damp surface of the metal device, and it eluded her grasp. The second attempt went better, and she picked up the expensive little item, turning it over and bringing it closer to her face.

The screen had long since fallen asleep, a deep blackness greeting her.

Maybe she'd imagined it? Misread something?

With weak, trembling fingers, she activated the screen once more.

It lit up brightly, revealing a spiderweb of cracks across the glass front. She barely registed that though, as her eyes could only register the banner that mocked her emotions without remorse.

 _Message: Blake Belladonna_

It took her four tries to enter her four digit password. Not because she didn't know it; the month and day she had met Blake would be burned into her memory until the day she died.

Instead, her hands shook so badly that she couldn't press the right onscreen buttons. Her vision blurred with tears until she couldn't see what she was doing, and she scrubbed furiously at her face as she finally unlocked her scroll on the fifth attempt.

"There's no way... " She mumbled to herself, her voice catching in her throat. She choked back a sob, inhaling a shuddering breath as a thousand unbidden memories fought their way to the front of her mind.

If someone was playing a joke on her, she'd kill them herself, with her bare hands.

Clutching her scroll tightly, she stared at the unread message. It dared her to open it, taunting her with the possibility of something that she knew wasn't possible at all.

Summoning up more courage than she knew she possessed, she clicked on the innocuous message.

Through blurry tears she read the words that appeared on her screen.

 _The account you have messaged has been inactive for three years. The number is being returned to the service provider for future use. If you feel you've received this message in error, please_ _contact us here_ _._

* * *

Reviews are appreciated. I may rewrite this in the future, in an attempt to further polish the idea that I wanted to convey. I know the feeling I was trying to create, but it's incredibly difficult to translate to the page.

As always, thank you all for your time, and I hope you enjoyed.


	55. Water Based

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty-Five: Water-Based_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

Author's note: Weird idea I got, no idea where I'll go with this one. Hopefully you enjoy.

* * *

"This was the _worst_ goddamn idea you've ever had, Yang!" Blake hissed, stomping angrily through the doorway to their room. Yang, having opened the door for the pissed off cat-faunus, leaned away as the sharp, overwhelmingly strong scent of paint attacked her nose.

Keenly aware that Blake's senses were far more sensitive than her own, Yang felt her stomach flop uncomfortably once more as she wondered how Blake must be feeling right now.

Blake, thoroughly covered in thick, dripping blue paint, reached up to push her soaked, sticky hair out of her face. All she managed to accomplish, however, was smearing more sticky paint across her face, temporarily gluing her left eye shut.

Letting out a howl of anguish, Blake stomped a bit harder than Yang _really_ thought was necessary toward the bathroom.

"Do you wa- "

The slamming door cut Yang off, and she lowered her hands to her sides. Letting the door slide closed behind her, she looked around the room before her eyes were drawn to the blue dots that marked a trail from door to door.

"At least it's water based!" Yang called out timidly, hoping that would soothe her irate partner somewhat.

A moment of silence followed, and Yang wondered if Blake was considering her words. Moving toward her bed, the blonde sat down upon it just as a mighty thud shook their dorm, the bathroom door shaking on it's hinges as Blake roared angrily.

"At least it's water based!" Blake screamed, pounding on the bathroom door with either her fist, or a rail gun, Yang wasn't quite certain.

Yang bit her bottom lip as she considered the pros and cons of replying. Before she could commit herself to making another poor decision, one more shovelful in a bid to dig herself deeper into trouble, the door whipped open. Blake's face appeared, a scowl plastered upon her face.

"Are you going to come in and help or _what?"_ Blake glared daggers at Yang, and the brawler wasn't sure if she'd make it out of the bathroom intact if she decided to enter.

Blake's expression promised death if she declined, however, so either way Yang figured she was screwed. At least dying with the chance to apologize to her friend seemed the better way to go.

Pushing herself off the bed, she reluctantly trudged toward the bathroom. It took much more of her courage than she'd like to admit to approach the upset girl, but she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other.

Suddenly, Blake had reached out and grabbed her wrist. Pulling her roughly into the bathroom, the door was slammed closed against the frame just inches from her delicate blonde locks.

"Any slower and the paint would be dry by the time you got in here." Blake's tone was acidic, leaving Yang to wonder just how long Blake would this upset about it.

Now, trapped in the bathroom with the door closed, Yang was forced to confront the god awful smell of a lot of wet paint in a confined space. The smell burned her nose, and she coughed.

"Whatever you're feeling, I can promise you, it's worse for me."

Yang nodded solomnly. "Sorry, Blake... "

Blake sighed as she looked down at herself.

"How in the hell did I ever let you talk me into this?"

Yang chuckled quietly, earning a sharp glare from Blake.

"Well... "

* * *

 _A few hours earlier..._

* * *

If Blake's acute hearing hadn't alerted her to Yang's approach, she was sure that her heart would have leapt from her chest as Yang suddenly threw the dormitory door open. The sliding door slammed against the track stops, Yang barrelling into the room and dropping two one-gallon cans onto the floor.

"Blake!" The girl greeted her enthusiastically. Blake hid a small smile behind her book, fixing a stern glare over the pages at the rowdy blonde.

"Yang." She acknowledged her quietly. "Hello."

Yang straightened up and waved, a massive grin spreading across her face. "Hello Blake!"

"What can I do for you, Yang?"

Yang moved toward the bunkbeds, Blake laying comfortably upon the lower one.

"Soooo, I was thinking." Yang began, pressing her hands together and rubbing her thumbs.

"Oh, no." Blake deadpanned, lowering her book.

Yang rolled her eyes, reaching up to brush her hair out of her face.

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

Blake smirked. "What were you thinking, Yang?"

Yang's lavender eyes lit up in excitement, and she sat down on the bed next to Blake. Blake's heart melted at the joy in Yang's eyes, and she knew that whatever Yang said, she was already on board.

"You know how Nora and I have that... thing?" Yang asked. Blake pursed her lips for a moment.

"I remember that you and Nora have a very foolish agreement." She spoke carefully, turning her head to look pointedly at the two cans of paint sitting in the middle of the floor.

Yang followed her stare, then chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Right. Well, our deal was that we had to one-up each other in intensity of pranks until the other chickened out. The winner gets the other to do their homework for a month. Now obviously if I let this go on for too long, Nora will get quite out of hand, and I can't afford to let her win. Not only do I not want to do her homework, I don't even want to do my own. Nora is a complete psychopath. Before she takes it to a level that I can't surpass without endangering someone's life, I'm gonna drop the hammer and put an end to this."

Blake raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"How do you plan on doing that?"

Yang smirked.

"Weiss has her Performing Arts presentation practice this afternoon in the training center. She's invited Ruby to join her as backup vocals. Before they get there, I want to sneak up into the open ceiling, and hide in the girders. Once they begin, and they're really into it, I'm going to bomb them with paint balloons. Attached will be a note framing Nora as the attacker. Now, this is Weiss we're talking about. Paint, all over her white... bel... bal... "

Yang trailed off for a moment, eyebrows furrowing as she frowned, currently at a loss for words.

Tempted to watch the dumpster fire that would be Yang trying to remember the word she was looking for, Blake instead decided to move the conversation forward.

"The word is bolero, Yang."

"Yeah, that thing!" Yang brightened. Blake picked up her book again, hiding behind it as a blush darkened her cheeks up to the tip of her human ears.

 _Gods, she is so cute!_

Turning her faunus ears toward Yang to show that she was still listening, she fought the embarrassment that refused to dissipate.

"So anyway, if we soak Weiss' fancy jacket in paint, and claim it was an attack by Nora, Weiss will literally explode. Weiss has been barely tolerant of this feud between Nora and I so far, and this will definitely send her over the edge. Weiss will freak out on Juniper, Ren will convince Nora to let it be, and I'll be the winner, without escalating to drastic measures."

Yang stopped to take a breath, patiently waiting for Blake's response.

Blake turned Yang's words over in her head, analysing her idea for potential flaws.

Granted, she saw more holes in this plan than her tea leaf strainer, but one stood out head and shoulders above the rest.

"What do I have to do with this plan?"

Yang shrugged.

"Every superhero has a sidekick." She spoke nonchalantly.

Blake, however, barely managed to suppress a snort of laughter.

"You fancy yourself a superhero, do you?"

Yang shrugged, then grinned that patented, Xiao-Long grin.

"Maybe you're the superhero, and I'm the sidekick."

Blake blinked, before picking up her book once more.

 _Damn her._

Hiding once more behind the pages of her book until the blush that darkened her pale complexion faded away, she stared unblinkingly at Yang over the top of her book.

"Seriously, what do you need me for?" Her words were slightly muffled by the pages of her book, but Yang had no trouble hearing her.

"I need your help. The balloons will be unweildy, the perch will be awkward, and if I'm discovered, I'll need backup to assist in my hasty retreat."

Blake hummed quietly as she pretended to think it over. Truthfully, Yang could convince her to do almost anyhing with that easy grin and carefree laugh.

"When do you need me?" Blake asked curiously.

Yang at least had the decency to look abashed as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Now." She laughed.

Blake rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep the smile from playing about her lips.

"Fine, you troublemaker. Let's go."

"Yes!" Yang fistpumped, then jumped off the bed, grabbing Blake's wrist and pulling the girl with her.

Blake allowed herself to be pulled along, revelling in the feel of Yang's hand on her own.

Yang stopped to grab a can, and Blake, against her better judgement, picked up the second one.

"You have the balloons?" Blake regarded Yang with a serious expression.

Yang nodded, patting her hip pocket.

"I'm all set."

Blake nodded, then paused.

"Er- how do we get the paint into the balloons?" Blake asked, following Yang as they exited the dorm.

Yang snickered.

"In preparation of your agreement, I hid some supplies in the ceiling already. All we need to do is get up there, prep our materials, and play the waiting game."

The raven-haired faunus hummed quietly.

"Yet, you didn't hide the balloons nor the paint up there? Can you truly call that preparedness?"

Yang 'tsk'ed as she turned sideways to brush between two lolligagging students.

"There wasn't much room on the narrow iron beams to hide two gallons of paint. If a can had fallen, it could have seriously hurt or killed someone, or worse, revealed our plan to the world."

Blake chose to ignore the obvious in favor of further clarification.

" _Our_ plan?" Blake asked disbelievingly. "No, no, no. This is not _our_ plan. I'm not going down with this ship, Xiao-Long." She spoke sternly.

Yang glanced back at the trailing faunus and winked cheekily.

"Come on, Blake. You don't expect me to believe that, do you? If it's me, you'll go down without hesitation."

Blake covered her mouth to muffle the sound of her choking on air, almost missing a step at the unexpected comment. Thankful that Yang had already turned around to face the direction she was walking, Blake quickly caught herself as she realized that was definitely _not_ what Yang had meant. Cheeks burning, she stared at the floor, keeping Yang's boots in the peripheral of her vision as she followed the blonde.

 _That sneaky little minx..._ Blake internally cursed Yang's choice of words and the images it conjured, all but certain that Yang and her had two _very_ different ideas of what exactly Yang meant.

The rest of the short trip was completed in relative silence, Yang humming happily to herself, and Blake trying her best to extinguish the fire that had broken out on the back of her neck.

Blake wasn't really sure where all of these feelings had come from in the last few months. She hadn't realized she liked the blonde as more than a partner until it became impossible _not_ to notice.

Now, she found herself devolving into stuttering, incoherent sentences and spells of inexplicable stupidity whenever Yang so much as patted her on the shoulder.

Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that bad, she admitted to herself, but it might as well have been. Yang had successfully infiltrated the majority of her waking thoughts, making it difficult to concentrate in class, on homework, and pretty much anywhere else.

She'd never found herself quite this infatuated before. And certainly not with a...

Blake snuck a look up at Yang's back from beneath her bangs, biting her bottom lip as she studied the beautiful girl.

...Certainly not with a girl.

That part was weird, she didn't mind admitting, but the part that really struck her was the range of new emotions she was experiencing that she'd never had to deal with before. Time outside the kingdoms was spent mostly on survival, leaving precious little time for romance. It was part of the reason she read about it so much, in a vain attempt to make up for what she felt she'd been missing for most of her teenaged life. She devoured books one after another, eager to learn about what it was like to fall in love, to have those feelings. She even wondered what it felt like to be rejected.

Despite how much she had read about it, there were certain feelings she wasn't sure she was ready to handle.

Jealousy had been unexpected. Both in it's presence, and intensity. Blake wasn't a very possessive person by nature; she owned few things, with the understanding that all of it could be taken away at any time by someone much stronger than herself. Her life included.

And while she certainly laid no claim to her blonde partner, Blake found herself involved in much more of th girl's life than she could easily justify.

Blake did everything expected of a team partner, including making sure that Yang excelled in her studies, made it to class on time, and had an adequate training partner.

Yet, Blake found herself doing so much more than that. More than once she'd foregone a peaceful reading session alone in the dorms to accompany the rest of her team and others in the library to study. Of course, she had no reservations about the ability of the rest of her team, particularly Weiss, but going to make sure Yang studied was never the original intent, it was merely the cover.

Truly, she went to watch the interactions between Sun and Yang. With similiar carefree, prankster attitudes, they'd swiftly become good friends. Part of Blake feared the deepening of that relationship, and what it could mean for their team.

What it could mean for her.

It seemed her snooping hadn't gone unnoticed, however. Her acute hearing picked up Weiss more than once talking to Nora and Pyrrha about her behaviour. They surmised that Blake was jealous of the attention Sun gave Yang, and Blake was content to let them think that, for the truth was far more petty and selfish. Blake wasn't jealous of Yang getting Sun's attention; the other way around, actually.

While it made Blake happy to see Yang treating faunus like she would treat anyone else, she was also a bit annoyed that Yang and Sun seemed to click so easily.

"... okay Blake?"

Blake blinked out of her reverie, lifting her head to study her surroundings. Yang was standing in front of a set of double doors, head tilted to the side as she stared at Blake curiously.

"Hmm?" Blake lifted her shoulders and her ears, flicking them forward in the way she knew Yang adored.

Yang giggled, then gestured toward the doors with her free hand.

"I asked if you were ready. This is it! If you wanna back out, now's your chance!"

Blake scoffed, doing her best to look offended.

"As if I would back out now. Leave my partner? Never. We started this mission together. We end it together."

Yang grinned, turning around to push open the doors.

"That's my Blake!"

* * *

In stark contrast to Yang's obvious discomfort, Blake herself had no issue balancing upon the thin, red iron trusses that spanned the length of the training center. They were about thirty-five feet above the ground, and Yang was trying to hold onto the metal truss with one hand and open the can of paint with the other.

She was struggling.

"Would you like some help?"

Yang looked up at Blake, who was standing comfortably upon the thin narrow beam, hands stuffed into the pockets of her jeans.

"How are you...?"

Blake shrugged, lifting one foot up and dangling it out over the edge.

"It's easy when you have... cat-like reflexes."

Yang glanced over the edge, then slowly licked her lips.

"Oooh boy, I am not as good with heights as I thought I was."

Blake raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

"This is the same Yang that fought the Nevermore with the rest of her team during initiation, right?"

Yang chuckled nervously.

"It's different when you're fighting, though."

"Is it really?"

Yang nodded. "Sure is! Now, you offered help?"

Blake snickered, then crouched down, balancing on one foot as she let her right leg dangle over the edge.

"Let me do it... "

It took no time at all, courtesy of the small, plastic funnel Yang had lifted from Weiss' dust supplies drawer. In a few moments, they had mostly filled four balloons with paint. Yang had massively overestimated how much they needed, so Blake had set the two cans down on the edge of one of the beams, out of reach of Yang.

"So how long do we have to wait up here with you trembling like a leaf in a windstorm?"

Yang scoffed as she slowly readjusted her position.

"Not long. Practice starts in a few minutes."

Blake nodded. "Okay, you think you can make it that long?" She teased.

Yang opened her mouth to reply, but the distant sound of voices had Blake closing the distance between them in an instant, pressing a finger to Yang's lips to silence her as Blake found herself staring into wide, surprised lilac.

Tilting her head toward the entrance at the far end of the room, Blake watched as Yang' eyes slowly slid over and down to look toward the door.

It pushed open with a groan of protest as students of the performing arts began filtering in, a jumble of voices reaching their ears. Over the din they could clearly hear Weiss' high pitched tone grating on Blake's heightened hearing.

Blake removed her finger from Yang's lips, lowering her hand to her side.

 _Do not make a sound._ Blake mouthed, and Yang nodded.

"Okay, everyone take your places, get ready to run through the opening." Weiss' voice drifted up to the two girls hiding in the roof, and they watched with mild interest from their unique vantage point as everyone moved into predefined places upon the large stage that had been erected at one end of the training hall.

"Ruby!" Weiss moved over to the bewildered redhead, reaching out to smooth out some wrinkles in the poor girl's shirt.

"I told you to keep yourself neat and tidy for this one! Ugh. You know Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch are coming to watch our practice, right?"

Blake's eyes widened, and Yang's almost bugged out of her head.

 _Ozpin is going to be here?_ Blake mouthed.

Yang shrugged helplessly.

Blake resisted the urge to slap at her forehead. Moving close to Yang, she trapped Yang against the steel support structure with her body, heels hanging out over the edge as she leaned in to put her lips by Yang's ear. Their bodies pressed lightly together, limited space forcing them together.

"We absolutely cannot drop these on Weiss with Ozpin and Glynda in the audience." Blake whispered.

"I didn't know they would be here." Yang hissed.

Blake's grip tightened on the steel she was gripping as Yang's breath tickled her neck.

"A-anyway, we need to abort. This is probably a three day detention level prank, at least."

Yang nodded, then lowered her forehead to rest on Blake's shoulder.

"How do we get out of here without being noticed?" Yang murmured.

Blake glanced down at the double doors they had come in.

"I... don't think we do. There's too many people to get out without someone noticing. This _is_ still a building full of hunters in training."

Yang groaned quietly.

"Great, so we wait until Weiss' stupid performance is over?"

Blake shrugged helplessly.

"I don't think we have a choice."

"... Great."

Blake couldn't help but smile at the look of utter defeat on Yang's face.

"Don't worry, Yang. We'll figure something out."

Turning around, Blake began carefully walking down the narrow, inches-wide steel beam, moving toward the back of the training room where the lights had been turned out.

"Where are you going?" Yang hissed quietly as Blake lightly jumped over the cans of paint and balloons sitting precariously upon the steel.

Blake turned and looked back over her shoulder at Yang.

"It's darker at the end furthest away from the stage. Less chance of being detected. This could go on for hours. I'm gonna take a nap."

"Blake, wait!"

"What?"

Yang glanced down at the beam she was standing on, her knuckles long ago having turned white from gripping a steel upright so tightly.

"Don't leave me alone."

Blake suppressed a laugh. Waving a hand, she gestured for Yang to follow.

"Come with me. And _don't_ knock the paint over."

Yang tentatively slid her foot along the steel beam, but when she reached as far as she could without releasing the upright she'd been clinging to, she stopped.

"Hold my hand."

"Excuse me?"

"Blake, hold my hand." Yang pleaded.

Blake rolled her eyes, and casually moved back toward Yang. Reaching out, she took Yang's hand, gently coaxing the timid blonde away from her supportive upright.

"It's only a hundred feet or so." Blake whispered soothingly.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Yang stared at the narrow beam she was walking on as she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

"Eaaasy. Over the paint now... good! Good girl."

Together, they made their way down the span of the dusty old iron, careful not to disturb the growing crowd beneath them. Even trained hunters didn't often look up without reason or provocation, so they went unnoticed as they made their way toward the far end of the training center.

"You said you're gonna nap?" Yang asked, when they reached the end. Releasing her death grip on Blake' numb hand, she swiftly grabbed the nearest upright for balance.

Blake nodded.

"Who knows how long this could go on for." Blake gestured to the people beneath them, who by now included Oz and Glynda.

"Blake, this beam is like four inches wide. This is crazy!"

Blake smirked as she dropped down to sit upon the bar, straddling it lazily.

"Then it's two inches wider than it needs to be. What a wonderful margin of comfort."

Yang rolled her eyes as Blake made herself comfortable with her back against the wall. Balling up a sweater, she tucked it beneath her as she kicked her feet up on the red iron beam.

"What am I supposed to do?" Yang asked.

Blake crossed her arms over her chest as she slouched down into a reclined position, closing her eyes.

"I don't care. Watch the practice. Lay down with me. Whatever you want."

Yang eyed Blake dubiously as she brushed a trail of dust from her sleeve where she had pushed up against a dusty old upright.

"Are you serious?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

Yang shook her head. "I do not."

"Then?" Blake held her arms open, indicating that Yang should join her.

Yang hesitated only a moment before sighing in resignation. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she carefully spun around so her back was to Blake.

Slowly, she lowered herelf to the beam until her backside made contact. Scooting backward, Blake wrapped her arms protectively around Yang's shoulders, pulling the blonde back into a rather comfortable hug.

"Just relax. I'll keep you safe." Blake whispered.

Whatever Yang said, it was lost among the sudden noise of the performers.

* * *

It was some time later when the training hall emptied.

"Yang." Blake whispered. "Yang, wake up. We can leave now."

The sleeping blonde shifted in Blake's arms, and Blake increased her grip on the girl to keep her from pulling them both over the edge. They would be fine, of course, but it seemed like an awfully undignified way to get down.

Despite her ass going numb some time ago, Blake was a bit reluctant to leave. While Yang had fallen asleep in moments, Blake had been too nervous and excited to nap as she had originally planned. Having Yang in her arms proved to be too much, their position too much like lovers to let her mind settle long enough for sleep to overcome her.

So instead, she stayed awake, gently stroking Yang's cheek and running her fingers through her hair.

"We can go now?" Yang asked sleepily. She made no effort to move.

Blake nodded. "We can get up now."

In direct opposition to her words, however, her grip tightened around Yang's shoulders. Yang leaned her head back, snuggling into Blake as she yawned.

"Thanks for keeping me safe like you said you would." Yang whispered.

Thankful that Yang couldn't see her face right now, Blake nodded.

"A-anytime, Yang. Anything for my partner."

"So how do you want to do this?" Yang asked, pushing herself unsteadily to her feet.

Blake silently cursed at the loss of contact, suddenly becoming a lot more cold than she had been moments before.

"I'll jump down. You drop the balloons and paint, I'll catch them. Then, if you need me to, I'll catch you."

"Very funny." Yang grumbled. Slowly, she made her way toward the paint, a bit bummed out that her plan had failed.

Blake paused a moment to make sure Yang would be okay, and when she figured Yang could handle herself, she let herself fall over the edge of the rafters.

For a very brief moment she was weightless, then she was hurtling toward the ground, picking up speed with each passing second.

Bringing her feet beneath her, she landed silently, absorbing as much energy as she could in her legs. Crouching low, she winced as her stiff muscles protested her sudden movement.

"Okay, drop the paint cans first." Blake spoke quietly, her voice carrying easily through the large empty space as she stood up.

Craning her head back, she looked up to see a splash of blonde working it's way through the darkened web of rafters.

"Ready?" Yang called out.

Blake nodded. "Drop it."

Yang obliged, and Blake reached out with two hands, snagging the nearly empty can from it's freefall with pinpoint accuracy.

"Okay, now the other one." Blake said, setting the can on the ground at her feet.

"Oh sh-BLAKE!"

Blake's heart erupted in her chest at the sound of Yang's panicked voice, and looked up in fear of seeing the blonde losing her footing, sailing through the air toward an abrupt meeting with the floor.

Instead, she looked up in time to catch a fat, blubbery balloon to the face, feeling it deform to the shape of her face an instant before it exploded.

All at once, she was assaulted by the sharp scent of paint, the sticky liquid covering absolutely every inch of her.

"Y-Yang!" Blake sputtered. "What the fuck?!"

"Sorry!" Yang wailed from up in the roof. "I moved to grab the other can and accidentally kicked one of the balloons off!"

"What the hell!" Blake growled. The sticky feeling of paint on her skin reminded her too much of the feeling of drying blood, and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck trying to rise despite their new coating.

"Get down here this instant Xiao-Long!" Blake growled, stomping her foot. It slipped in the mess of blue paint splattered across the floor, and she cursed as she fought to regain her balance.

"Damnit Yang!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Yang's panicked voice reached her saturated ears, but it did little to ease her temper.

"NOW, YANG!"

* * *

 _Now..._

* * *

"Help me." Blake demanded.

Yang bit her lip, hesitating just long enough to make Blake raise a disbelieving eyebrow at her.

"Okay, okay." Yang reached out and grabbed the soaked edge of Blake's shirt. Pulling it up and over her head, Yang grimaced as Blake's hair stuck together in clumps, the fur along the edges of her ears already hardening into little blue spikes.

Blake raised her arms to facilitate the removal of the shirt, and Yang dropped it to the floor. It made a wet splattering sound when it hit the floor, and Yang winced.

"You're not stopping until every last trace of blue is out of my hair." Blake threatened. Yang nodded, her expression subdued.

"Of course." Yang spoke meekly.

"Good." Blake reached into the shower and cranked the knobs on, looking back over her shoulder at her partner. Upon seeing the distress clear upon Yang's face, Blake's expression softened.

"Hey, " Blake said quietly. Yang lifted her head and looked at Blake, her wide lavender eyes full of sadness and despair.

"At least it's water based, right?"

Yang cracked a small smile, and Blake grinned.

"After this, let's come up with a new plan to take Nora down."

Yang looked at her, confusion etched upon her face.

"After all of this?"

Blake turned back toward the shower, reaching out to test the temperature with her fingertips.

"What kind of partner would I be if I bailed out now? Not a very good one. C'mon, take my bra off. Let's get cleaned up."

* * *

Author's note: End. For now...?

Also, SPOILERS AHEAD.

Not for RWBY, but for chapter fifty-four: Holding On To You.

There seemed to be a bit of confusion about what was going on in that chapter, as I had left it intentionally vague. It was designed to take a few readthroughs to fully appreciate, but in case there are still questions, here is a blatant breakdown of what happened.

A few years in the past, while team RWBY was still in their last year of Beacon, Yang asked Blake's advice on how best to confess her love to someone. She didn't tell Blake, but Blake was that person. Yang never quite got up the courage to admit her feelings to Blake, however, fearing rejection and backlash from her teammates and fearing irreparable damage to their team dynamic. Add to this the guilt Blake felt over Adam taking Yang's arm, and Yang worried that Blake might agree due to guilt, not out of any real reciprocation of feelings.

Shortly after, Blake passed away. It's implied that she struggled with self-harm, partly due to feeling responsible for Yang losing her arm, as well as with the stress of being a teenaged huntress in the middle of a war.

Yang kept Blake's scroll. By texting her every day, it was like a little piece of Blake never really left. This is why Weiss reacts the way she does. Yang hopes that one day she can admit her feelings through text, but she's unable to.

After three years of no activity on Blake's account, it is cancelled, and the scroll number returned to the service provider. This information was relayed via an automated text, which is why Yang was so shocked to see a message from Blake.

I feel like I could have written it better to more easily convey those thoughts and feelings without being obtuse about it.

I look forward to comments and criticism with the aim of being a better author. I really enjoy writing about our favourite bees, and I would love to be able to provide higher quality writing.

Until next time.


	56. Maternal

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty-Six: Maternal_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

It was dark inside Yang's bedroom. No source of illumination save for her scroll charger plugged into the far wall, casting a faint blue light from a power indicating led on top. It threw a blue glow up the far wall that failed to reach the bed on the other side of the room.

A haphazard trail of clothes lead from the tightly closed door to the bed, mere lumps of darkness on the floor in the blackened room.

Heavy panting filled Yang's bedroom, soft mewls of contentment and the whispery sound of skin against skin as Yang slid up against Blake's side, fingertips ghosting up her naked stomach. Yang quickly made herself comfortable on Blake's left side as the raven-haired faunus trembled weakly beneath her touch, slowly coming down from an intense sexual high.

Yang removed her hand from Blake's stomach for a moment to wipe at her mouth with the back of her hand before returning it to Blake's stomach, letting it rest in the hollow just beneath her rib cage. Resting her head on the slightly damp pillow that Blake was on, Yang stared at Blake's profile as best she could with her poor night vision. Blake's naked chest heaved up and down as the raven haired girl fought to catch her breath, soft moans of pleasure and tiny mewls filling the air.

"God, Yang, " She panted, struggling to catch her breath, "How do you do that?"

Yang chuckled lightly, her ego well stroked by Blake's reaction.

"Trade secret." Yang teased, tracing small circles on Blake's skin. In the dark Blake rolled her eyes, although Yang would have never noticed.

"Well whatever you're doing, please never stop." Blake whispered breathlessly. Yang leaned closer and nuzzled her nose against Blake's cheek.

"Anything for you, love."

Blake responded by slowly rolling over onto her side to face Yang, wincing slightly at the effort required to move her legs, which currently resembled jelly. Slipping her arm around Yang's waist, she pulled herself closer to Yang, resigned to the fact that she wasn't going to find a dry spot on the sheets to lay.

Some of it was her fault, she thought, as she stared into Yang's eyes. Yang made her so hot, her sweat dampening the sheets as they fought for dominance beneath the blankets.

Most of it was Yang's fault, though. The way Yang pleasured her was unlike anything she'd ever experienced, and Blake didn't know that she could get so wet.

"I want to do the thing." Blake spoke after a moment, earning a hearty chuckle from Yang.

"Really, Blake?"

Blake groaned lightly. "You know I do."

Yang snickered, unable to help herself.

"Fine. C'mere, babe."

Happily Blake scooted down the length of the bed a bit, then pushed herself closer to Yang. Yang carefully wrapped her arms around Blake's shoulders, cradling the girl to her chest as Blake buried her face in Yang's breasts.

"Y'know, " Yang began, gently stroking the back of Blake's head, "I've always wondered what your fascination was with my chest."

Blake's voice was a bit muffled as she replied.

"It's a nice chest, do I need a reason?"

Yang thought about it as she lovingly caressed Blake.

"Well, yeah. Kinda. You're weirdly obsessed with it."

"No, I'm not." Blake denied, even as her hand came up to knead at Yang's chest.

"Why do you like my boobs so much?" Yang asked, pressing the issue as genuine curiosity got the best of her.

Blake responded by taking Yang's left breast into her mouth, sucking gently as she passed her coarsely textured tongue over her sensitive nipple.

Yang choked back a moan of pleasure as her arms tightened around her raven-haired girlfriend.

"Don't- don't avoid the question." Yang whispered, her voice roughening with increasing desire. Yang leaned her head down to kiss the top of Blake's head. Taking advantage of Blake's position against her voluptuous chest, Yang grabbed the tip of one of Blake's faunus ears between her teeth, gently applying pressure to it with her canines.

"You really wanna know?" Blake asked, her voice low as she leaned her forehead against Yang's flushed skin.

"Kinda." Yang admitted.

"It's weird." Blake's voice took on a warning tone, as if trying to convince Yang that it was better left unspoken.

This did nothing to deter the inquisitive blonde, however.

"Whatever it is, it can't be any weirder than you liking it when I lick your a-"

Yang suddenly hissed in pain as Blake bit down on her sensitive nipple, silencing the blonde.

"Finish that sentence and I'll finish you." The raven-haired girl growled, the nails of her right hand digging into Yang's hip.

It was clear that Yang had found some prime teasing material, but she set it aside as her curiosity got the better of her.

"Fine, fine! Sorry! I just meant that it probably isn't as weird as you think!"

Blake raised her head off Yang's chest to glare at the blonde for a moment, dark liquid gold eyes flicking rapidly back and forth between honest lilac as she contemplated her response.

"It's because your boobs are comforting." Blake finally spoke, lowering her forehead to press against Yang's chest once more.

Yang's brow wrinkled in confusion, a look that was missed by her girlfriend.

"Comforting?" Yang echoed.

Blake nodded slowly.

"It's... when I sink my hands into your soft, supple breasts, I can't think of anything I've ever touched that is more yielding to the touch. It feels incredible, and it makes me feel good. It makes me feel safe. It's... " Blake trailed off for a second, contemplating her words.

"Your boobs are very... maternal, I guess, is the word for it. I feel safe and comfortable, I feel loved when I'm pressed up against your chest. I like it." Blake shrugged helplessly. "That's all."

Yang blew out a sigh, her chest heaving with her deep breath.

"Y'know, I was prepared for some ridiculous reason that would make me laugh, " Yang admitted, earning a gentle slap on the hip from Blake.

"But I think I know what you mean." Yang reached up to caress the back of Blake's head possessively, threading her fingers through long strands of ebony.

"When I've got you here in my arms, Blake, it makes everything perfect. All the worry and hurt leave my mind when I'm holding you. I feel lighter when you're by my side. When you hold my hand, I don't trudge through the world, I walk atop it."

Yang felt the tips of her ears heating up as Blake giggled sweetly into her chest, nuzzling into her.

"I know it's not the same, but I know that when I'm with you, I have everything that I've ever wanted."

It was a sweet, peaceful moment Yang thought, burying her nose in Blake's hair. She carried the scent of wildberry, or at least, some shampoo company's approximation of it. Blake's hair was damp beneath her fingers, and Yang was unsure if it was from her shower earlier, or their heated activities afterward.

Mindlessly she scratched at Blake's head, gently kneading the tips of her fingers into Blake's skull. It had taken some work to convince Blake that Yang wasn't treating her like a pet. At first Blake had shied away from the touch, but when Yang had explained how much she herself loved having her head massaged and hair played with, Blake had reluctantly agreed to it.

Now, Blake would frequently shove her head into Yang's lap, practically begging for Yang to run her fingers through the faunus' hair.

It was incredibly relaxing. Yang traced small circles on the back of Blake's neck, sending a shiver of pleasure racing through Blake's body.

"How did I get so lucky?" Blake murmured.

Yang shifted, wrapping her leg protectively around Blake and pressing herself closer to the girl in her arms.

"You think yourself lucky?" Yang whispered quietly.

Blake's faunus ear twitched, brushing against Yang's cheek. The furry tips caught on a strand of blonde, and Yang giggled as Blake furiously whipped her ear back and forth in an attempt to dislodge it.

"I'm lucky that I'm yours." Blake answered, preferring to pretend that hadn't just happened.

"I'm glad you can write off all of my hard work to court you as 'luck.'" Yang teased. Her hand left Blake's hip to trace idle patterns up and down her side. Blake was silent, but that didn't discourage the blonde from delivering the punchline of her joke as if Blake had protested.

"Aw, don't worry Blake, I'm just... ribbing you." Yang dug her fingertips into Blake's side, tickling her ribs as Blake instantly began squirming in her arms.

"Xiao-Long!" Blake hollered, making Yang wince with the unexpected volume. Swiftly Yang stopped, and Blake paused long enough to fix her with a stern glare.

"Do _not_ ruin our after-sex cuddles with terrible puns and devious tickling."

Yang stared down at her girlfriend, both silent for a moment as they stared at each other. Blake's glare hadn't lost it's edge from her Beacon days, but somehow it was less intimidating when her hair was a wild mess about her face, and her face was still flushed red from her breathless gasps for air.

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Fine, you win, _Belladonna._ " Yang mimicked Blake's earlier tone. Blake nodded, a pleased smile curving her soft, kissable lips as she lowered her head back to Yang's chest.

"Glad we understand each other, _Xiao-Long._ "

Yang smirked as she pressed another kiss to the top of Blake's head. Blake relaxed in her arms, until their breaths slowed and fell into sync.

"Although... " Yang whispered softly, "At some point I'd like to revisit the whole 'maternal' fixation you have with my boobs. If you've got some weird mommy fetish, I think I have a right to know."

There was no response from Blake except for her hand tightening slightly on Yang's hip. Yang suppressed a chuckle, not wanting to disturb the fading faunus.

Minutes passed, and Blake's breathing deepened. Fully content and feeling like she had everything she could ever want in life, Yang clutched Blake tightly to her body.

"You say my last name as if you like it, or something." Yang murmured offhandedly, exhaustion beginning to set in as she closed her eyes.

A few minutes of silence, and Yang found herself struggling to stay awake. As she began to fade out into unconsciousness, the thought that had been on her mind all night finally found a way out.

"If you like it so much, you can have it."

Blake twitched in her arms, her ear brushing against Yang's cheek. That was the last thing Yang remembered before she fell asleep.

* * *

Author's note: Work is keeping me ridiculously busy. Working through some updates for 'Vengeance Is My Name'. Floating out some small one-shots in between to remind myself that I'm still alive.


	57. Star Dreams

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty-Seven: Star Dreams_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

Author's note: See the end of the chapter for notes.

* * *

The ship was nearly silent.

To the casual listener, the ship made no noise, and it was a bit disconcerting. One would expect ships of this size to be wrought with sounds such as rattling pipes,the clang of tool steel on metal, the busy bustling of ship mates in their haste to keep the gigantic metal beast alive.

Yet there was nothing.

Blake walked the desolate hallways alone, her ears privy only to the sound of the engines at the back of the ship, nearly a kilometer away from her current position. It was like an electrical hum that reverberated throughout the metal skeleton of the ship, vibrating through the very walls and floors and making the ship feel _alive._

Blake's own footfalls sounded eerie and foreign to her ears, too loud in the quiet, desolate environment. The hallways she walked down were poorly lit, darkness flooding every corner as a single red LED light strip turned to the lowest setting struggled to beat back the darkness.

The faint red glow did little to illuminate the path she walked, but she cared not. She knew the path she walked like the back of her hand, and could have done it blindfolded if necessary.

Suddenly a speaker mounted along the wall crackled to life with static interference, a foreign sound that startled her, though she'd admit it to no one. Her secondary ears twitched at the offending sound, and she knew what it heralded.

Pulling out her ancient, dilapidated scroll, she unlocked it just in time for her text ring tone to go off. Pulling up the message, she knew it could only be one person trying to contact her on the ship's local network.

 _Hey. Get up here. Got something to show ya._

Blake rolled her eyes at her partner's brusqueness, knowing full well that it wasn't intended as such.

Her journey in the depths of the ship came to an end as she reached a ladder at the end of the hallway. Standing at the base of it, she looked up, seeing the ladder scale away from her for what seemed like eternity, regular intervals of white LED lights signalling different levels she could get off at.

Any other time, and Blake would be glad for the cardiovascular workout. However, her partner had effectively piqued her interest with her short message, and Blake found herself in a bit of a hurry now.

Returning her gaze to her scroll, her eyes ignored the long-ago formed crack running down the center of the screen. Opening up the app for the ship, she flipped through a few menus until she reached the artificial gravity generator.

A few taps later, and she found her zone. Confirming that she wanted to deactivate it, Blake tuned her ears in to the telltale sound of a faraway generator winding down. It disappeared from her ears a few seconds later, the roaring hum of the main engines growing a bit more prevalent.

And then she was weightless.

Her feet left the cold steel planks of the underground pathway, and she tilted her head back to look up at the ladder that extended away from her.

Well, she supposed, that was no longer _up._ It was whatever direction she wanted it to be.

Pushing off the wall, she slowly spun around until she was upside down. Or at least, upside down in comparision to her previous orientation.

Without the artificial gravity generator, she no longer felt an up or down, and any orientation she floated in felt as comfortable as any other.

Pointing her toes in the direction of the ladder reaching toward the upper levels of the ship, she pushed off the floor with her hands.

Her long raven hair streamed out behind her as she lazily floated through hatch after hatch, the darkness of the access tunnel interspersed by each white LED signalling different floors within the ship. The whole experience could be described as the slowest strobe light ever as she was illuminated, then cast in shadow, over and over.

 _Fifth floor._

 _Sixth Floor._

 _Seventh Floor._

This continued for a while, Blake fighting off the urge to close her eyes lest she drift off course and ram herself into a hand railing or get tangled up in the ladder that she ghosted by.

Floating aimlessly in space hadn't always been comforting for her. The first time she'd experienced zero gravity hadn't been by choice, and her partner had split her time between maniacal laughter at Blake's terrified expression and frantic work on the artificial gravity generator as Blake let loose a vicious stream of curses and swears.

Blake could still remember all those years ago, the way her stomach flipped uncomfortably at the feeling of having the ground recede away from her. She'd twisted this way and that, trying to find some way to orient herself in a way that made sense. Her partner had laughed at the futility of it all, until Blake threatened to be sick.

Getting sick in zero gravity was fun for no person, and the blonde had swiftly turned her attention to fixing the problem.

Blake smirked as the paint on the ladder changed color. From a dull, worn out construction yellow to a dark purple.

It hadn't always been dark purple.

Blake reached out to grab the rungs of the ladder as she floated by, slowing her progress. She could feel herself leaving her local gravity area, and within moments, if she didn't have a secure handhold, she was sure to come crashing back down as the artificial gravity generator in this section of the ship began to take hold on her.

Tucking into a ball, Blake pushed off the rung of the ladder, spinning around so that when gravity took ahold of her, she wouldn't be upside down.

Placing her feet upon the rungs, she began climbing it in earnest now, as she slowly became aware of her own body weight once more.

She was back under full artificial gravity now, a feeling she'd come to dislike compared to the freedom of floating.

She didn't know it back then, but that was the feeling she'd been chasing all those centuries ago back at Beacon.

 _Beacon._

It was so long ago.

So long ago, that it seemed like another life.

It _was_ another life, in a way, she surmised, putting hand over hand and foot over foot as she ascended.

That feeling of weightlessness was what she'd been chasing back at Beacon so many hundreds of years ago. Each boost from a shadowclone, each gauntlet propelled, ribbon assisted throw, pushing her higher into the air, wind whipping through her hair, that was the feeling she was chasing.

The thought of Beacon brought back a flood of memories, too many for her to sift through, and far too many to suppress.

Thoughts of her old teammates filled her head, and amidst it all, the thought of her weapon.

Gambol Shroud.

Where had she lost it, all those years ago?

She wasn't sure, she could never remember exactly when or where she'd parted with her weapon for good. However, the thought never failed to fill her with sadness. It had been a part of her for so long, and to no longer have it felt... wrong.

Of course, there was no use for such a thing anyway where they were going, but that didn't matter. It would have made a nice keepsake, something to tuck away under her bed. Something she could pull out and idly clean when she was feeling nostalgic or lonely.

Those thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as she reached a closed hatch blocking her progress.

 _Really, Yang?_

It was just the two of them on board this ship; at least, the only two of them that were awake.

What was she sealing herself off from?

Twisting the heavy handle, the hatch unsealed with a hiss. Pushing on it lightly, it lifted on pneumatic struts, pulling up and out of the way as Blake climbed up into the bridge of the ship.

"You didn't take the elevator?" The blonde asked by way of greeting.

Blake closed the hatch, wordlessly humoring the girl by locking it securely.

"I was in the underground alleyways, prowling around." Blake shrugged. "Would have taken longer to go up to a floor and then down the hall to where the lift was."

"What is your fascination with the dark, hidden alleyways that line the depths of my ship?"

Blake shrugged. "I like it. Makes me feel alone, knowing that no one knows where I am or where I'm going."

The blonde, currently standing with her back to Blake, burst out into laughter.

"We're eleven light-years away from our home planet, on a desolate ship floating through interstellar space, space so _empty_ that particle density is measured by the cubic _metre_ , and you need to find a place that makes you feel more alone and hidden?"

Blake shrugged, lips curving into a smile at the blonde's incredulity.

"Have you been down there lately? It's wonderful. Some of the LED's are starting to die, lending the atmosphere a lovely flickering, fading quality."

Yang shuddered.

"Speaking of, did you lock the hatch?"

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. You know, I've always wondered why you insist on locking doors behind you everywhere you go. Like you said, we're eleven light-years away from everything and every one we've ever known. The only axe-murderer here is either you or me."

Yang chuckled, moving away from a long table full of touch screens.

"Could you imagine?"

Blake smirked. "Some days I wonder how I haven't, already." She teased. Yang flipped her off, moving toward her captain's chair. Settling into it, she swivelled around to finally face Blake, a demure smile gracing her features at the sight of Blake.

"Seriously, though, what's with the locked door?" Blake insisted, gesturing over her shoulder with her thumb as she sauntered over to Yang's chair. Settling down in Yang's lap, she wrapped her arms around Yang's neck and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Oh, you know my ship is haunted, right?" Yang's voice took on a puzzled tone. Blake was not one to believe in the supernatural, but she couldn't help but have flashbacks to red grimm eyes, and a shiver ran down her spine involuntarily.

"C'mon, Yang, your ship isn't haunted."

Yang shrugged. "I'm really surprised you haven't run into the dahaka yet."

Blake bit the inside of her mouth, wondering whether or not to entertain her partner's tall tales. Curiosity soon got the better of her, however, and she reached up to gently run her fingers through Yang's hair.

"What is that?"

Yang wrapped her arms around Blake's waist, pulling the girl protectively closer.

"It's a spectral wraith that haunts interstellar space, the empty areas between stars, between solar systems. When it finds a ship crossing through interstellar space, it infests it."

Blake licked her lips, finding herself biting her lip a bit harder than usual.

"That doesn't make any sense." Blake scoffed, trying her best to sound dismissive.

Yang regarded her seriously for a moment.

"Not everything in this world is meant for us to understand." Yang spoke slowly. "The dahaka haunts my ship, promise. Tell me seriously you've never noticed it?"

"Noticed what?"

Yang shrugged. "Small things. Items not where you left them. Hatches you're sure you closed left ajar. Noises you can't explain. The motion detector in the cargo hold went off three times last week. I was up here running the ship. You were in the room taking a shower. We're the only two active on this ship, Blake."

Blake pursed her lips, not wanting to say anything.

"You spend so much time prowling the darkened maintenance alleys underneath the ship, I'm really surprised you haven't seen it yet."

"What's it look like?"

Yang shrugged. "I've never gotten a good look at it. It's a shadow in the shadows, a black smudge that seems to exist only in the corners of your eyes. It moves faster than you can think, and never stays in one spot for long."

The corner of Blake's lips curved upward, and she lovingly threaded her fingers through Yang's hair.

"You know how I know you're lying?" Blake asked.

Yang raised an eyebrow.

"Because I'm the love of your life. If there were any danger to me, you wouldn't let me roam your ship unaccompanied and unsupervised." Blake spoke smugly.

Yang laughed quietly.

"The truth is, I never told you because I knew you'd never believe me. And I never tried to stop you because the dahaka can get you at any time, any where. Nothing I could do or say would save you." Yang's voice lowered to a whisper, as if she were afraid of being overheard.

"I lock the doors and hatches, but it's a false sense of security... The insidious demon that haunts this ship isn't bothered by steel walls or locked doors... at the slightest provocation, the demon could reach through the steel hull of this ship... claws grasping, raking... clutching your flesh and squeezing the life out of you, until... "

"Grah!" Yang jabbed her fingers into Blake's side, earning a shrill yelp of terror from the faunus even as Yang dissolved into a puddle of laughter.

Realizing Yang had gotten the best of her, Blake struggled to extriacate herself from Yang's grip, but the strong blonde was having none of it.

"Yang, you're a jerk!" Blake hissed, embarrassment tinting her cheeks as Yang's laughter echoed around the room.

"Do you- " Yang gulped for air, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she tried to speak. "Do you know how long I've been locking doors behind me, waiting for you to catch on and ask me about it? This has been the longest build up to a prank I think I've ever done!"

Blake growled quietly in the back of her throat, a sign of irritation she hadn't expressed in a while.

"You didn't get me, you just surprised me, that's all."

Yang clutched Blake tightly, nuzzling her gently.

"That's why you practically leapt into the air." Yang teased.

"Whatever." Blake hissed angrily.

Yang took a few breaths as her laughter finally died out, and she looked up at the raven-haired girl happily.

"There's a reason I actually called you up here, you know."

"What?" Blake asked icily.

Yang gestured to the small control panel to her left.

"I know you haven't exactly been paying attention to the calendar, seeing as they mean nothing to us out here, but I've been keeping track of our daily activities."

"You should, seeing as you run this ship." Blake interrupted dismissively, still miffed at Yang's earlier prank.

"RIght, and as such, I'll have you know that we've been captured."

Blake's nose wrinkled ever so cutely, causing Yang to hug her tightly, practically squealing in pleasure.

"Captured by what?"

"Captured by Canis. The star. We're here, Blake. We actually left interstellar space three weeks ago. Ever since, we've been under heavy deceleration. A few days ago we were captured by the gravity well of Canis. We've entered a stable orbit, and for the first time, we can get a glimpse of the first planets in orbit around Canis."

"You mean-" Blake's head whipped around to the front of the ship as if she expected to catch a glimpse of the worlds outside, then she realized that the heavy debris shields were still in place over the gigantic windscreen. She turned to Yang, hope and excitement alight in her her eyes.

"Seriously?" Blake asked, her tone hopeful. "No games?"

Yang smiled. "Even I'm not that cruel. No games. We're here. If you'd like to do the honors-" Yang gestured to the control panel beside her chair.

Blake nodded, excitement stealing her breath and rendering her unable to speak.

They'd waited so long for this moment, she had almost thought that it would never come.

With trembling hands she reached out toward the touchscreen, and it lit up beneath her fingertips. Accessing the menu for the debris shields, she took a few attempts to click the correct slider.

When she did, however, she was greeted to an ear-rending groan. A high pitched hydraulic whine split the air, and slowly, more agonizingly slowly than Blake could stand, the two debris shields covering the front windows of the ship pulled apart.

After years in constant darkness with the occasional flickering LED to light her way, Yang and Blake were nearly blinded as the shields pulled apart to reveal a breathtaking scene in front of them.

A dark blue star - Canis - burned brightly in the distance, nearly drowning out the other features surrounding them.

It wasn't however, as bright as the yellow dwarf of their home planet, and it wasn't quite as blinding to look into the vicinity of.

"See those specks of blue and green over there?"

Blake followed Yang's pointing, and with her sharp vision, easily picked out the two orbs floating out alone in the vast blackness of space.

"Yeah... " Blake spoke breathlessly.

Yang smiled, leaning up against Blake.

"It's your pick. Either one. Hell, you can have both, if you want. There's no one else out here to stop us. This is your home now."

" _Our_ home." Blake corrected, reaching down to clutch Yang's hand tightly in her own.

" _Your_ home." Yang insisted. "This is your legacy. Your destiny. You lead the revolution, you inspired the creation, you got these ships off Remnant, loaded up with every willing man, woman, and faunus child. These planets belong to you. To you and your kind."

"Yang... " Blake's voice faltered, but Yang pressed on.

"Blake, I'm just a human. Many of your kind gave their life in the fight for this, and that almost included you, many times. This is what the faunus fought for. A place to truly call their own. I don't... I don't think I'm welcome here. I just fly the ship."

Blake didn't miss the way Yang's voice hitched near the end, nor the way Yang tried to cover it up with a deep, shaky breath.

Blake opened her mouth to speak, but Yang cut her off.

"What are you going to call them?" Yang gestured to the tiny orbs floating peacefully throughout the inky darkness.

Blake couldn't tear her eyes away from the ethereal sight of the two desolate, uninhabited planets hanging in the deep silence of space.

They were her future. This is what she spent so long fighting for, Yang was right.

These two planets were the future homes of the rest of the faunus species. Finally out of reach of the twisted, self-destructive human race that occupied Remnant, they had found a place they could truly call their own.

Not everyone had made it.

Many had died defending the ships, their launch pads, their fuel stores. Many had died in the chaotic construction of the large fleet of ships.

Some, knowing there was limited space available, graciously gave up a seat to someone younger, more willing and able.

Many, a great many, were too timid to venture out into the dark beyond, certain that a swift death was all that awaited them.

Remnant was a large world. Not everyone had even heard the news of the opportunity that awaited them, and while it was a shame, it wasn't the end of the world.

It wouldn't be the end of their species.

Blake and Yang, working feverishly day and night, had overseen the creation of twelve ships, all identical. With the help of dedicated faunus, they labored, until they'd tested everything they thought they could test, built and engineered every redundancy they thought they'd need.

It had taken more than a lifetime to perfect.

Now, eleven ships identical to Yang's were strewn throughout space, each carrying one hundred thousand faunus in cryogenic storage.

This was going to be their new home, free from human rule.

Despite being a single, solitary human in a sea of faunus, Yang knew that she couldn't encroach on what she'd promised them. A life free from humans.

"Yang... "

Yang smiled, but it had lost it's glow.

"Seriously, you gotta name them. Can't live on nameless planets."

Blake stood up, turning her back to the incredible sight that stretched out before her. All she was concerned with right now was the blonde who suddenly felt like she didn't belong.

"Why are you just saying this now?" Blake tried her best to school her face into one of sternness, but inside she felt like she was breaking.

Yang at least had the grace to look guilty, but it didn't last long as her face hardened.

"I couldn't find a way to tell you, back then. When we left our home planet, I couldn't imagine a day without you. I know you couldn't. If I had said that I wanted to stay, that the auto-pilot would guide the faunus just fine to their new home, it would have been too much. You wouldn't have gone. You would have tried to stay with me, wouldn't you?"

"Of course." Blake murmured, staring into wide, shimmering lilac eyes. Yang opened her arms, beckoning Blake to come closer.

Unfolding her arms, Blake slowly made her way toward Yang, a shadow in the blackness of space gravitating toward her own personal sun.

"What would that have looked like, Blake? Both of us have this crazy idea to start a new civilization on two planets light-years away, but when it comes time to leave, neither of us are willing to go? They would question it. Was it a death sentence in disguise? Did we doubt our craftsmanship, our math, our projections, or did we doubt the habitability of the planets we'd found? It wouldn't have inspired much, would it?"

Blake slowly lowered herself back into Yang's lap, where the blonde wrapped her arms tightly around Blake's waist. They clung tightly to each other, each unwilling to look away from the other.

"I had no choice but to leave with you. Not only because you're my world, but because I couldn't allow myself to hold you back from what you were destined to do." Yang's voice was low and rough, like widespread, snow tipped mountain peaks lying beneath an infinite sky.

Blake stared down at Yang, losing herself in the precious few moments she found herself taller than the blonde. With her head tilted up to meet Blake's eyes, the pale blueish-white light from the distant home star washed over her features, lighting her pale skin and making her eyes dance with wild, unspoken emotion.

"I did what was necessary to give you a place to call home."

Blake's breath caught in her throat, and she took a deep breath to calm the emotion swirling in her chest.

"Remnant was never really my home, was it." Blake spoke quietly. She chose her words carefully, turning each over in her head, inspecting it to make sure that it reflected what she wanted to say. If she could focus on analysing it with such detachment, she might not find herself overwhelmed.

Yang's hold tightened on her, fingers digging into her unyielding sides to find only taut muscle.

"It wasn't a home, for a lot of people, for a lot of reasons. I was a bit luckier than most, though." Blake smiled wistfully.

"Home for me was only ever here in your arms."

Yang's previously hard expression was eclipsed by a much softer one, and Blake couldn't keep herself from reaching out to run her fingers lightly through Yang's hair once more.

"So where do we go from here?" Yang whispered quietly. She slowly leaned forward until her forehead made contact with Blake's shoulder. Blake cradled Yang to her, humming softly as she threaded her fingers through Yang's hair.

"Let the faunus have the planets. This is what we promised them, and it's what I intend to accomplish."

"What about us?"

Blake could feel the dampness on her shoulder, but she wouldn't wound Yang's pride by acknowledging it.

"You're my home, Yang. You're my everything, my entire world. I'll be by your side no matter what you choose to do."

Yang shuddered against her, then nodded. Blake closed her eyes and the faintest of smiles graced her lips as she held her entire world between her arms.

Blake gave Yang a few minutes to compose herself, before tentatively breaking the silence.

"So what do we do now?"

Yang didn't move from her current position, her voice muffled by Blake's chest as she spoke.

"All we have to do is release the cargo pods. The internal life support will automatically kick on, and the guidance systems will bring them down; six ships per planet. As per the designs, they will provide up to three months of power for heating, refrigeration, and water recycling before they die out. In that time, the faunus, resourceful as they are, will have to become self-sustaining."

"How long to get from where we are now to the ground?"

Yang finally lifted her head from Blake's shoulder, and the raven-haired girl didn't miss the tell-tale glistening in the corners of her eyes. Yang looked away, focusing on a screen as she tapped through a few options.

"It looks like we got placed into a highly elliptical orbit around Canis. If we release six of the pods within the next three days, they'll take five weeks to enter a stable orbit around... " Yang glanced at Blake with a slightly raised eyebrow, "Planet A. Two days after that, we release the next six, and they'll enter orbit around Planet B in eight weeks. From initial release, to final landing, it's all automatic from here on out."

Blake nodded slowly. Taking a deep breath, she finally tore her gaze away from Yang long enough to look back out the front glass of the ship. Even as her pupils contracted to mere slits at the onslaught of light, she found the two tiny orbs suspended in the infinite blackness of space.

Those two small dots of color represented the hopes and dreams of her entire species, and the results of her entire life's labor.

As if reading her mind, Yang dug her fingers into Blake's sides gently to get her attention.

"Are you really sure you don't want to be on one of those ships? You could rule those planets. Or disappear into the darkness, as you tend to do."

Blake nodded slowly, reluctantly tearing her gaze away from the incredible sight before her.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life." Blake spoke quietly. Reaching out, she grabbed Yang's hand in her own. Squeezing it tightly, she looked deep into Yang's eyes.

"A moment in time with you is worth more than a thousand lifetimes anywhere else."

Yang nodded slowly, for once in her life she seemed to be struck speechless.

"Make it happen, Yang. Let's send our people home."

"R-right. Okay."

Turning back to the control panel at her side, Yang deftly navigated through the options. Once she found what she wanted, she hesitated, finger poised over the button.

Turning back to Blake, Yang's eyes shone with indescribable emotion. Twin suns seemed to illuminate her vibrant lilac eyes, and she raised one eyebrow teasingly.

"Last chaaaance." She sung.

Blake rolled her eyes, before leaning forward and pressing her mouth roughly against Yang's.

"Just do it." Blake managed to mutter before she was utterly lost in Yang's passionate kiss. Soft warm lips that seemed made to fit her own sent a flurry of emotion scattering through her as strongly as the first time they'd kissed, and Blake found herself forgetting to breathe as Yang pulled back just far enough to entice Blake to chase her.

Blake didn't resist, leaning into the blonde even as her arms found their way around Yang's shoulders.

Lost in the sweet taste of one another, neither realized that Yang had managed to activate the launch sequence before she scrambled to tangle her hands in Blake's hair, and a strong shuddering rocked the ship, startling the both of them into freezing like statues. They paused, looking at each other but not daring to make a sound. Blake's chest heaved from lack of oxygen, and Yang's face was dark red, but neither dared to utter a word.

The shuddering slowly faded, and silence filled the air. It didn't last however, as a distant hydraulic whine permeated the air. They both listened to it as it droned on for almost a minute, each alone with their thoughts of what all of this meant.

Another jolt rocked the ship, almost dislodging Blake from Yang's lap, and Blake was sure she would have tumbled to the floor if not for Yang's possessive grip around her waist. For a split second Blake's heart was in her throat as fear lanced through her, causing her ears to press flat against her head. She'd never heard a sound that loud before, especially after years in the utter silence of interstellar space.

The fear was swiftly replaced by an alien feeling however as a mechanical voice droned out over the intercom system.

 _"Drop pod successfully released. Telemetry indicates life support systems all online."_

Yang stared up at Blake, eyes wide in excitement.

"Blake-!"

 _"Six of twelve drop pods successfully released. Telemetry indicates life support systems all online. Stand by for functions check."_

"Blake, we did it!" Yang's voice was breathless, and Blake wasn't sure what to say. Even as she tried to form a coherent thought, Yang crushed it out of her with a bear hug.

"Blake, we did it! We did it!"

Blake struggled to catch her breath, and to be the voice of reason.

"I'll rest easy when we get confirmation that they're on the ground and awake." Blake murmured, but still, she couldn't hide the grin that slowly spread across her face like the first golden rays of morning sunrise.

Yang giggled- Blake's ears twitched wildly at that, Yang _never_ giggled- and nuzzled into Blake's chest.

"We did it, Blake."

Blake relented, rolling her eyes good naturedly at Yang's premature enthusiastic celebration.

"So what do we do now?" Blake asked, hating to ruin the mood, but she was never one to not have a plan.

At that, Yang paused, loosening her hold on Blake and leaning back in her seat.

"Do we set course for another planet in this solar system? A neighbouring star, perhaps?"

Yang stayed quiet, and Blake had a loose idea of what the blonde had planned to do if Blake had followed her kind.

"Yang?"

The blonde raised her head to look up at Blake.

"There are a few neighbouring stars that might be within reach of our remaining fuel reserves, but there is no guarantee that any of them have habitable planets capable of supporting life."

Blake nodded slowly, swallowing thickly as she realized how quickly she had to come to terms with what was about to happen.

"So what was your plan?" Blake whispered.

Yang pursed her lips together, and refused to look at Blake.

"Yang, love, we kind of don't have any options now." Blake reached out and gently grabbed Yang's chin, forcing the girl to look at her.

"Whatever you were going to do if I wasn't here, that's what we're going to do."

Yang's eyes flitted back and forth between orbs of molten gold and she swallowed roughly before nodding. Blake released her grip on Yang's face, a half smile lifting the corner of her mouth.

"Out there." Yang reached out to point out the front of the ship, into the inky blackness.

"Right now, the light of distant stars is drowned out by the brilliant luminescence of Canis, but if we ventured out into space, we'd eventually find something. That, however, is not what I want."

"What do you want?"

Yang smiled forlornly.

"There's a patch of darkness on the other side of Canis. I found it while plotting out courses so many years ago. There's no interstellar dust, no stars, no distant galaxies, nothing. It's a cold, empty patch of space, and it will be forever ours. One short thirty minute burn, a handful of days spent waiting, we escape Canis' gravity well, and soar off into unending darkness. No one and nothing to find us, to ever know that we existed."

Blake shivered at the thought, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.

"I really like the sound of that." Blake whispered.

Yang closed her eyes and nodded.

"Me too." Yang licked her bottom lip, then glanced up at Blake. "And I like it more knowing that you'll be with me. Forever."

"Forever." Blake repeated.

Yang leaned in and nuzzled her nose against Blake's, earning a soft giggle from the raven-haired faunus.

"So what do you want to do with the time we have left?" Yang asked, her voice low.

Blake reached out and pressed one of the few buttons she was familiar with on the console of Yang's captain's chair. Instantly, a soft electric whine filled the air as Yang's chair reclined backward, and Blake pushed Yang down onto her back as she moved to straddle Yang's waist.

"I have a few ideas." Blake raised an eyebrow, tilting her head suggestively to the side.

Yang's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Really? Here? Now?"

Blake reached down and grasped the hem of her shirt. Pulling it up over her head, she discarded it carelessly to the floor. Reaching up she ran her hands through her hair, tilting her head back and moaning quietly as she rubbed her thumbs along the base of her faunus ears.

"Yes, here, and now." Blake whispered breathlessly.

"I mean, who's gonna see us?"

That was all the convincing Yang needed, and she pulled Blake down tightly against her body, feverishly stripping each other of their clothes as their mouths explored soft flesh, teeth nipping and scratching familiar sensitive spots.

Breathy moans, gasps of pleasurable pain, and soft sounds of exertion filled the air as tranquil blue light flooded the ship, bathing the two lovers in a sea of warmth. As the engines lit for the final time to carry them far away from everyone and everything they'd dedicated their lives to, they found comfort in each other's arms and the knowledge that no matter how many worlds they left behind, there was a much more important world to be explored in spaces they'd carved out in each others heart.

* * *

Author's note: Congratulations if you made it to the end of... whatever the hell this turned out to be. It was a weird idea that had been bugging me for a while, and I had to get it out. I hope you've enjoyed.

In other news, I had decided to take a short break from one of my longer stories, Vengeance Is My Name, to sort out some storyline ideas and to regather motivation. I'm close to resuming updates on that story, in case you were wondering where the updates had gone. I'm rather excited to finish it, and one of the endings I'm considering for it leaves it open for a sequel. So we will see how that turns out.

As always, thank you for your time, and reviews are appreciated.


	58. Something Different Part Twelve

_._

 _Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty-Eight: Something Different Part Twelve_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

"You kept it?"

Weiss' tone was puzzled, yet lacking criticism as she glanced at the neatly folded black sweater upon her bed.

Laying on her back on Weiss' bed, Blake glanced over at her friend, eyebrows raising slightly.

"Is it weird?" Blake asked, biting her bottom lip. "Now that I think about it, it feels weird."

Weiss hummed non committedly as she sat down on the bed beside Blake.

"Well, it's what I would expect of a girl Yang's age, that's for sure."

Blake dropped the phone she'd been holding above her head, letting it land next to her shoulder as she covered her face.

"Great, now I'm weird. How do I give it back without it being a thing?"

Weiss shook her head sternly, her eyebrows furrowing over sharp blue eyes.

"Oh, _God_ , Blake, you can't give it back now. You've got to commit!"

Blake's ears twitched, and Weiss spotted the motion. Fearing she'd laid it on a little thick, she tried to backpedal without raising Blake's suspicion.

"I mean, " Weiss continued, her tone a bit more conversational, "You can't leap back and forth from one to the other. Now that you have it, it would be twice as weird to give it back, right?"

Blake parted her fingers to allow one narrowed, dark gold eye to glare at Weiss.

"You're screwing with me, aren't you?"

Weiss' face cracked into a smile, and she threw her hands up, abandoning her teasing.

"Of course I'm screwing with you. It's a sweater. Who cares? I bet she doesn't even know you have it. Do you know how busy that girl is?"

Blake removed her hands from her face, sighing as she reached around for her phone. Fingers closing around the warm aluminum frame, she carefully raised it above her face once more.

"I think I have an idea." Blake muttered moodily.

Weiss snickered. "Of course you do. It was a rhetorical question. God, you're angsty when she abandons you in favor of working."

Blake shrugged. "It's not that."

Interest piqued, Weiss leaned back, propping herself up on her elbows.

"What is it, then?"

Blake wordlessly turned her serious, brooding amber eyes on Weiss, followed closely by Blake turning her phone screen toward the silver-haired girl.

Weiss reached out and took it from Blake's grasp, bringing it up to her face to get a good look at the picture upon it.

"What... is this?" Weiss asked, scrutinizing the picture closely.

"It's a picture I took of Yang's clipboard. She gave it to me a few weeks ago when we went to go look at a job. She handed it to me and told me to pretend to be busy. So naturally I just browsed the papers on the clipboard. On the top right corner of the third page of some safety code thing was a name and number scrawled in pink highlighter. It's hard to see because it was rainy out that day and the lighting was poor, but I've figured out what the name and number is."

Weiss clucked her tongue a few times, unsure of what to say. Looking up from the phone, she offered it back to Blake.

"Y'know, it occurs to me that there's a few possibilities here. You could be a broody, insufferable asshat and torture yourself with the thought that Yang might be seeing someone other than you, or you could pick up the phone, call Yang, and quickly learn that it's the name of some stuffy old safety person from a past site visit."

Despite the seriousness of the topic of conversation, Blake burst into laughter at that point, phone slipping from her hand and nearly smacking her in the face.

Completely bewildered at the unexpected laughter, Weiss could only blink in confusion as she thought back on what she'd said, searching to find anything that might be considered funny.

"Is... did I say something?" Weiss asked hesitantly.

Blake reached up to cover her mouth, stifling her laughter as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Sorry, " Blake managed to get her laughter under control, "This was a serious conversation, but I needed that just now. You know how I know you're hanging out with Ruby more? Your speech is becoming so informal and full of slang, and you curse more. She's totally rubbing off on you!"

Weiss blinked.

"Errr... okay. Uh. I'm not... sure what to say?"

Blake snickered, rubbing her forehead gently.

"There's also a third option, " Blake picked up her phone once more, and wagged it in front of Weiss' face to steer their conversation back on track.

"And what might that be?" Weiss asked, awkwardly conscious of how she now sounded much more proper than she did before.

It apparently hadn't escaped Blake's attention either, for she merely smirked, dipping her left ear.

"I could text this number and see who it is, and what she thinks she's doing giving her number to _my_ girlfriend."

Blake's voice got unintentionally fierce toward the end, and Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Easy, tiger. It's weird enough that you _borrowed_ -" Weiss raised her fingers to pantomime quotation marks, " -her sweater, you don't need to go full creep on her. Besides, how do you know it's a girl?"

A dark tint rose to Blake's cheeks, and she looked away, turning her eyes to Weiss' ceiling above her bed. Weiss stared down at the girl, studying her intently.

"I'm not a creep." Blake muttered quietly. "Besides, look at it. Pink highlighter, big bubble letters, impeccably neat numbering, and the name is Neo. It's obviously a girl. And I'm not a creep." Blake repeated.

"Good! Then don't do creepy stuff." Weiss reached out and patted Blake's knee affectionately, ignoring everything else Blake had said.

Blake nudged her knee away from Weiss' hand, and Weiss chuckled. Reaching out, she gently pinched Blake's thigh, earning a surprised yelp from the girl.

"Ow! Weiss!"

Weiss ignored her.

"Let me see that picture again." She ordered, and when Blake heard that _Weiss Schnee_ tone, she knew better than to protest, lest she delay the inevitable. Handing her now blacked out phone to Weiss, she watched in mild amusement as Weiss quickly entered Blake's password to unlock it.

"Why do I never change my password?" Blake asked herself quietly.

Weiss didn't look up from Blake's phone as she responded.

"It's because you need guidance in your life, and although you don't know exactly how to ask for it, you know that it's impossible for me to steer you wrong, and you trust me implicitly. I keep you from doing dumb things, such as what you suggested only minutes ago, because I am awesome. Here, look at this."

Weiss held the phone back out to Blake, who took it. Weiss had zoomed in on the top corner of the document, and despite the large, flowy pink writing that filled the screen, Blake's eyes were drawn to the neat black ink that displayed a date upon the paper.

"Look at it." Weiss instructed, tapping the screen with an immaculate teal nail. "Look at that date. It's from _six months ago._ I introduced you to Yang a month ago, at most. Get a grip on yourself."

"But what if-"

Weiss shook her head.

"No. No buts. I refuse to let you destroy your relationship by _thinking._ Now, unfortunately, I can't be here to babysit you and prevent you from doing stupid things, so you'll have to exercise a modicum of self control and banish these foolish thoughts before you do a dumb thing."

Blake finally sat up, putting her phone down on the bed.

"You have plans today?"

Weiss nodded, pushing herself up off the bed.

"Yes. I'm going out with Ruby."

"Oh, are you?" Blake drawled, fixing Weiss with a curious look.

Blue eyes widened in alarm as she realized what she'd said, and she swiftly backpedalled raising her hands up in front of her face as if she could physically ward off Blake's insinuations.

"N-no! I'm not going out with her, as in dating! I'm going outside with her, to do activities!"

Blake raised an eyebrow as she examined Weiss, noting for the first time her state of dress.

"Are... are you going to change?"

Weiss glanced down at herself, smoothing out her clothing.

"What, may I ask, is wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Blake raised a lazy finger and pointed at Weiss.

"Well, those are sweatpants. Forgive me for not realizing you'd turned into a bum."

Weiss drew herself up to her full height, impressing absolutely no one.

"Blake, they're _Gucci._ "

"Ohhhkaaay, you're going out with Ruby, and you're wearing incredibly stretchy, form fitting, easy to remove sweatpants. Neat. I know what you'll be doing."

Weiss folded her arms across her chest, turning on her heel as she prowled toward the door.

"Whatever. I don't have to explain myself to you. For your information, I'm taking her for a ride in the Maserati. I'm going to show her that this world has much finer things than her sisters bro-dozer of a truck."

Once more Blake's laughter filled the room, the girl covering her mouth with her hand.

"Seriously? Tell me Ruby didn't teach you the phrase 'bro-dozer', because that's hilarious!"

Falling back onto the bed, Blake laughed as Weiss stomped toward her bedroom door.

"Keep it up, Weiss!" Blake teased, as she heard the bedroom door open. "I give it until next week and you come back with half your head shaved!"

Weiss' only answer was slamming the bedroom door shut.

As Blake's laughter devolved into giggles, her thoughts turned back to her current problem.

What to do about that number.

In the back of her mind, she knew that Weiss was probably right. Weiss was _always_ right.

Blake picked up her phone, turning it over in her hand.

Weiss was probably right in assuming that it was nothing. It was six months ago, and it was long before Blake had ever met Yang. Yang had admitted that she'd been... carefree in her dating in the past, and Blake didn't want to pry or bring up old girlfriends.

Blake bit her lip as she unlocked her phone, opening up the picture and committing the number to memory.

Weiss was probably right, she thought. It was most likely nothing.

Copying the number into a new message header, she began carefully constructing a text.

Weiss was probably right, but Blake was very curious.

* * *

"Oh!" Yang exclaimed, slamming her hand down on the back of the folded down jump seat. A resounding _Thwack!_ caught Blake by surprise, and she jumped a bit, turning in her seat to look questioningly at Yang.

"Before I forget, I need to stop by one job and pick up some paper work." Yang explained, her trademark flirty grin lighting up her face. "It won't take long, and then we can get to the mall."

"Okay." Blake nodded slowly. "Is this a 'wait in the truck' kind of job?"

Yang shook her head.

"Not really, no." She glanced at the passenger side mirror, then guided her truck over into the far lane.

"Yang!" Blake scolded, reaching out and gently smacking Yang's shoulder.

"What!?" Yang looked at Blake, lavender eyes wide with faux innocence.

"You didn't signal!" Blake admonished, crossing her arms over her chest and fixing the blonde with a stern glare.

"Of course I didn't!" Yang protested. "I can't let the haters know my next move."

Blake scoffed lightly, rolling her eyes.

"I'm beginning to think Weiss is right." Blake spoke drying, eyeing Yang up critically.

"Right about what?"

"You are childish and impossible."

Yang grinned cheekily. "And you love it!"

Blake hummed softly. "I don't know about that... "

Yang said nothing, reaching up to a programmable tuner on her dash. The quiet _blip blip_ was barely audible over the growling truck, but nonetheless, it caught Blake's attention.

"I know one thing you'll love for sure." Yang said as she caught Blake's semi-interested look.

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"Sixty four pounds of boost."

Blake was about to tell Yang that she didn't know what that meant, but the words died in the back of her throat as Yang accelerated without warning.

With a surge of power the truck leapt forward, and Blake's senses were overwhelmed with a cacaphony of sounds and feelings. She did her best to cling tightly to the soft, supple leather of her seat as she attempted to take it all in.

She was assaulted by the noise first, her sensitive ears -despite being taped down to her head- ringing as the motor raged beneath the hood. The whistle of compressed air filled the cabin with a ferocity she'd never experienced before, a piercing howl that Blake swore she could feel in her chest.

The swift increase in speed set her pulse alight, heart pounding in her chest as excitement -and she had to admit, fear- took root in her mind. Inhaling deeply Blake could smell the heavy lingering scent of diesel exhaust, sharp and acidic yet tantalizingly enticing. Associated strongly with the memory of Yang and all the wonderful emotions that entailed, she did her best to commit that scent to memory.

After what seemed like an eternity, yet was only a handful of seconds, Yang backed off the throttle. The sound of pressurized air being released as the turbo wound down sent chills through her as the dominating sound in the cabin became the thrumming of mud tires on asphalt.

Realizing they were sailing by cars in the passing lane like they were standing still, Blake tried to lean over and catch a glimpse of the speedometer. Seemingly anticipating her movement however, Yang leaned in to meet her half way, catching her off guard with a hasty, messy kiss to the cheek before she returned her attention to the road.

"The answer is 'hella fast'." Yang said, in response to Blake's unasked question.

Blake tried to hold back a giggle, not wanting to encourage such reckless behaviour, but was unsuccessful. Spurred on by Blake's apparent enjoyment, Yang grinned happily.

"This only further proves that you're childish." Blake said in an attempt to cover up the goofy smile that seemed to be stuck to her face.

"Yet you like it _so much._ " Yang teased.

"Whatever. Do not."

Yang hummed disbelievingly as she moved her foot to the brake, beginning to slow down as she saw the exit she needed fast approaching.

"Whatever you say, babe."

Blake said nothing, but reached out toward Yang. Picking up on her intentions, Yang took her hand, threading their fingers together and holding tightly.

Looking back on it now, Blake was pretty embarrassed at her reaction yesterday, she thought. She had been left alone to let her mind go wild, and she had been missing Yang. Uncertainty and doubt had crept in, which seemed outlandish now in this moment, because Blake had never been more certain of anything in her life.

She really liked Yang.

Rubbing her thumb along the back of Yang's hand, she was rewarded with a gentle squeeze.

"How do you think Ruby and Weiss got along last night?" Blake asked, her thoughts turning back to her friend.

Yang shrugged. "I don't know, Ruby didn't come home last night."

Blake pursed her lips together in mild surprise.

"Really? Weiss didn't make it home last night either, or at least, she didn't while I was there. I left around eleven, and she wasn't back."

"Maybe they found a hotel." Yang suggested.

Blake shook her head. "Not Weiss, you wouldn't catch her dead in any of the local hotels."

Yang snickered, slowing down as her tires left the asphalt behind in favor of dirt and gravel. Blake gripped Yang's hand a bit tighter as her other hand found the grab handle on the A pillar of the truck near the windshield, steadying herself against the sudden bouncing and rocking.

"Well, you never know. Ruby can be _very_ persuasive."

Blake rolled her eyes, a smile curving her lips.

"Yeah, I could see it, actually. Weiss has been picking up a lot of Ruby's mannerisms and affectations."

Yang guided her truck over to a row of shacks lined up end to end, coming to a stop and killing the engine. Blake smirked as they towered over the tan colored truck parked beside them, and she let go of Yang's hand to unclip her seatbelt.

"So shouldn't we have all of that safety stuff on?" Blake asked. She was always so uncertain of what exactly Yang should and shouldn't be letting her do, as the girl more often than not bent or broke most of her own rules.

Yang waved her off. "Nah, we're just running from the truck to the job trailer. It's no big deal, promise."

Looking out the windshield, she examined said job trailer. It was a dull grey, sheet metal covering much of the exterior. About forty feet long, one man door at each end granted access to the interior. The top third of the building was painted a vivid red, and Blake had been on enough sites with Yang to assume that it was probably the company color. A temporary set of steps crafted from old wooden pallets lead up to the doors.

Blake nodded slowly. "If you're sure."

Yang winked at her as she opened her door. "Trust me. Let me get that door for you."

Before Blake could make a joke about ramming her door into the truck beside her, Yang was opening the passenger door for her.

"You know, " Blake said as she took Yang's offered hand, stepping down onto crunchy gravel, "I think I've got the hang of it now. You don't have to help me every time. I'm sure it must be a pain for you."

Yang shook her head.

"Not even a little bit." Yang assured her. "Besides, any excuse to take your hand, right?"

Blake ducked her head down to hide her embarrassment as she stepped off to the side. Yang wrapped an arm protectively around her shoulders as she pushed the door to the truck closed, then reached up and folded in her tow mirror against the glass.

Blake stepped a bit closer to Yang, affection bubbling up in her chest for the blonde. For some reason, she felt like she _had_ to tell Yang how she felt, and it couldn't wait.

"Yang?"

"Mm yeah?"

Blake reached up and wrapped her arms around Yang's neck. Pulling Yang closer to her, she stared into Yang's eyes. Yang stared back, her curiosity morphing into concern as Blake was quiet for a minute.

When she spoke, her voice was soft.

"Yang, I like you. I really like you. A lot. I just wanted you to know."

Yang stared at her wordlessly, blinking slowly as she absorbed Blake's words. Blake didn't mind, however, content to hold Yang for as long as the girl would allow.

When Yang finally replied, her voice was a bit more subdued than Blake was expecting.

"I like you too, Blake. More than a lot. I'm glad you choose to spend your time with me."

Yang lowered her arms to Blake's waist, clutching the girl securely. Blake stared up at her, amber eyes innocently wide.

Unable to resist, Yang leaned down and caught Blake's lips in a hesitant kiss. Blake was very reserved about showing affection in public, but Yang was willing to bet that she would make an exception for this moment.

Yang's intuition was rewarded when Blake moaned weakly, hands moving to Yang's shoulders and gripping them tightly as she returned the kiss.

Although the kiss began innocently enough, it soon turned deviant as Blake tilted her head to the side, parting her lips and allowing Yang to deepen the kiss. The blonde made an appreciative sound in the back of her throat, reaching up with her left hand to support herself against the side of her truck as her right came up to caress Blake's neck. Sliding her thumb around Blake's throat, she gently pressed Blake up against her truck, shifting her weight to her left foot as she pushed her right knee between Blake's legs.

Blake trembled against her, grip weakening on Yang's shoulders as the blonde dominated her.

"I thought that was your truck I hear-oh? Yang?"

At the sound of an unfamiliar voice calling Yang's name, a streak of panic shot through Blake. Pulling back from Yang, she pushed the blonde away as she hastily reached up to wipe at her mouth, clearing her throat as she fought the traitorous blush rising to her cheeks. Glancing around to see who had caught them, she saw a short girl leaning against the front of Yang's truck, staring at them with an amused smirk on her face.

Yang, for her part, seemed frustratingly unflustered, her beautiful laugh filling the air as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Putting her hands on her hips, she shrugged.

"Oops. Hey Neo. I came by to get the, uh... "

The girl - Neo, Blake realized with widened eyes- held up a thin brown folder.

"The fall-pro rescue plan documentation?"

Yang nodded vigorously, head bobbing up and down strictly more than necessary.

"Yup! That would be the one!"

As Yang moved toward the shorter girl to take the offered paperwork, Blake wished the earth would just open up and swallow her whole. Embarrassment burned within her chest at being caught in such an intimate position, and her mind was racing as she remembered the scathing text message she'd sent to this girl not twenty-four hours earlier.

Hopefully the girl didn't put two and two together...

Realizing that Yang was still talking to the girl, Blake glanced up from beneath her bangs and took a second to covertly study the girl.

She was shorter than Blake herself, and Blake was slightly miffed to see that Neo's face was pretty well level with Yang's chest. This seemed not to bother the girl, as she laughed at whatever Yang had said, reaching out to touch Yang's arm.

The girl had large brown eyes, a tiny nose, and a devious grin set over seemingly perfect white teeth. Her hair was razor straight, and pushed back out of her face to hang down her back to her shoulders. It had been dyed a bright pink at one point, maybe for a concert or event or something, but it was beginning to fade, her dark brown roots beginning to grow through.

As she talked, Blake caught a glimpse of flashing metal, and a closer look revealed that Neo had a tongue piercing, a small silver ball that drew Blake's attention more than she wanted to admit.

The girl was wearing a tight neon yellow shirt, fitting enough to reveal that the girl wasn't lacking in the assets department. Over that was a black surveyor's vest, filled with pockets. It draped down over tight fitting jeans and remarkably clean work boots, telling Blake that the girl was more of a supervisor than a worker.

"... right, I'll take a look tonight and let you know."

Blake tore her eyes away from the girl before her staring was noticed, although a part of her was certain that with the way Neo was staring at Yang, the short girl wouldn't have noticed if Blake had started spraypainting all over the tan truck parked beside them.

"Okay, drive safe."

"I always drive safe!" Yang's tone was playfully offended, and the short girl rolled her eyes.

"I know how you drive, and safe is _not_ how I would describe it."

"Whatever. See you next week!"

The girl lifted a hand to wave, eyes leaving Yang for a split second to glance at Blake, then turned on her heel and disappeared around the front of Yang's truck. A second later, the creak of a door could be heard, followed closely by the thud of it closing.

Yang turned around, folder in hand, but stopped when she saw Blake glaring at her, arms folded across her chest.

"What?" Yang asked innocently.

Blake said nothing, but gestured for Yang to come closer.

"Did I do something to upset you?" Yang asked, her voice beginning to sound nervous. "Because if I did, I-"

Blake reached out and gently pressed a finger to Yang's lips, silencing her.

"We weren't done kissing." Blake murmured. Even as she said it, she could feel her ears burning, but she ignored it in favor of watching Yang's eyes light up.

"Well, I can fix that." Yang whispered, a smile lifting the corners of her lips as she pulled Blake into her arms.

Pushing all of her doubts and insecurities out of her mind, Blake focused her thoughts on the wonderful, beautiful girl who was kissing her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

* * *

Author's note: At what point do I just turn this into its own story? It's getting pretty large.

I hope you all are enjoying so far, and having a wonderful holiday season.


	59. Quiche

.

 _Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Fifty-Nine: Quiche_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

Inspired by a small comic by _rwbyballpointpen_ on tumblr.

* * *

Blake wasn't sure exactly how to feel, but she felt something.

So indescribable, something she had never experienced with anyone before. She couldn't remember ever having this rush of emotions in her life, a sort of giddy happiness that threatened to overwhelm her to the point of tears.

Turning the page of her book, she idly scanned the words for anything that would catch her interest.

It was all so incredibly boring now.

She smiled lightly to herself, flicking her left ear as a faint draft floated through the air. It brought with it a multitude of smells, some more enticing than others.

It was funny, she thought, she used to read these books as an escape from her life. It was a way to delve deep into a world that was better than her own. The scenes painted in letters between the pages were always so grandoise, filled with love and promises of fantastic adventures.

Once she had met her partner, all of those wonderful tales seemed so bleak in comparison. The promises of being swept off her feet by a wonderful prince were burned to ash amidst a fiery bombshell.

Now, she read because it was something to do, to fill the moments between the best times of her life. She read because it was a habit, and habits were hard to break.

She read because she loved the pensive look on Yang's face when the blonde was trying to decide between letting Blake read a little longer, or interrupt her in favor of muted conversations before bed.

Blake only wished that Yang would interrupt her sooner, and more often.

Fully embroiled in thoughts of her partner now, Blake's vision turned blurry as she zoned out. Her grasp weaked on her book, yet it stayed firmly in her lap, powerless against the dead weight of her palm. The dried pages scratched lightly against her fingertips as her hand slid down to the base of the book, but she never noticed.

Yang... was complicated.

Everything was complicated, actually.

Not in a bad way, though. In a very exciting way.

They had gone out last night to the bar, as was usual for Yang on a Friday night. Yang had insisted on wearing something that made Blake downright uncomfortable, and that was saying a lot considering the state of some of their summer hunting outfits.

Yellow was normally Yang's color, and Blake liked the shade on the girl. It matched well with her hair, and was a mirror for her sunny disposition.

She did not wear yellow last night.

A black crop top bared Yang's shoulders and midriff, stretching out over her chest in a near-futile attempt to hold everything together. Thin laces criss-crossed her back, tightening the shirt and making Blake's mind wander uncontrollably when Yang asked her to lace it up in a too-innocent voice that sounded like she knew exactly what she was doing.

Thankfully Yang wore jeans.

Complete jeans, thank god, Blake thought. A month ago while drinking fancy wine at the Schnee's house, Weiss had managed to loosen up enough to discuss 'girly' things, as she so aptly described it. While the silver-haired girl went on and on about dirty, rugged, messy, uncaring, tomboyish little reapers and their absolute disrespect for personal space and apparently how attractive that made them, Blake had quietly mentioned that Yang's legs drove her wild.

There was a reason she lagged behind the group 'reading a book', while Yang lead the way, hips swaying and skirt teasing.

 _Somehow_ Yang had learned this little tidbit of information (god damnit, Weiss!) and had begun striding around their shared apartment in jean shorts, cutoffs, boy shorts, and sometimes, nothing but a t-shirt.

It was infuriating.

Thoughts straying back to last night, Blake could still remember the way Yang had jumped a bit in an attempt to pull up her super tight faded blue jeans. Trying not to stare as Yang's chest put on a show, Blake had looked anywhere but at her partner as Yang buttoned up her jeans.

 _What do you think, Blake?_ Yang had asked, spinning in place. _Think the guys will like it?_

Blake distinctly remembered thinking how unfair it was. Low rise _meant_ low rise. The straps of her thong (purple, Blake had to suppress a wanting moan) was visible just above the waistband of her pants, teasing Blake in ways she didn't know she could be teased.

While leaving as little to the imagination as possible, Yang had still managed to make her thoughts run wild.

 _The boys will love it._ Blake had confirmed. A bright smile had lit up Yang's face, and Blake's heart melted at the sight.

It was so painfully obvious and fake, and Blake hated it. _Does this shirt look good?_ They would ask each other, swapping clothes and offering suggestions, telling each other that they were bound to land a hot guy tonight. Lingering glances and shy looks told otherwise, but neither had yet seemed to gather the courage to destroy the facade they'd created.

 _Do you think I look good in this?_ Really, they both knew it meant, _Do you like it? Does it make me look good to you?_

It was scary. Blake knew Yang's flirtacious behaviour was over-the-top, and although she had caught Yang looking more than once, there was still that nagging voice in the back of her head grounding her to reality. Begging her not to make a move. Because if she was wrong, it would ruin everything they'd built.

Blake sighed, shaking her head as her vision sharpened, tuning back into her book.

Of course, Yang had never brought anyone home. At the end of the night, after Yang turning down potential dates over various slights, real or imagined, and Blake flat out glaring at anyone who dared approach her, they would stumble - Yang would stumble, Blake would support her - home, empty handed and to separate beds.

A few times Yang had requested Blake's help getting out of her tight clothes, and it was all Blake could do to hold herself together long enough to assist the drunken girl with her clothes before fleeing back to the safety of her room.

Blake looked up from her book, sighing in frustration as she stared at Yang's back with open longing.

Yang was in her line of sight now, back to her as she messed around in the kitchen. Her long blonde hair had been tied back into a ponytail, something Blake had fantasized about tugging on more than once.

A too-large orange t-shirt covered her chest, hanging off her left shoulder and revealing that she wasn't wearing a bra.

It hung down to mid thigh, but did nothing to conceal the curve of Yang's tantalizing ass as the girl slid left and right along the floor on bare feet, a clattering of bowls and clashing of silverware accompanying soft murmurs and the occasional uttered curse.

Yang was undeniably gorgeous.

Blake rolled her eyes and silently swore to herself as she felt that too-familiar feeling she got when she stared at Yang for too long.

 _Really? While she's making breakfast?_ She scolded herself. Setting down her book, she squeezed her legs together before grabbing a soft, velvety black and white checkered throw pillow, hugging it tight to her chest as she pulled her legs up tightly to the pillow.

 _I need to get laid. By Yang._

Knowing that she was only making it worse for herself, but far past caring, Blake rested her chin on the pillow in her arms and gently inhaled the mixed scent of Yang and her perfume, settling on openly staring at the beautiful girl who seemed hell-bent on making as much of a mess as possible in their kitchen.

It didn't last long, however, before Yang turned to confront her, leaning back on the edge of the counter and shrugging her shoulders up.

Blake bit her lip to keep from making all sorts of undignified sounds as Yang's shirt rode up, revealing more toned leg than Blake had seen before.

"I always know when you're staring." Yang said conversationally, bringing a spoon up to her mouth and licking it slowly. Her eyes never left Blake's, daring the girl to say anything as her pink tongue caressed the inside of the spoon.

Shrinking back behind her pillow to hide the heat raging in her cheeks, Blake nonetheless refused to break eye contact, greedily taking in as much of Yang's bare skin as she was offered from the peripherals of her vision.

"How do you know when I'm staring?" Blake asked, her voice low.

Yang snickered, pointing the spoon in Blake's direction.

"If you're not reading, you're staring at me."

"Am not." Blake automatically countered.

Yang tilted her head to the side, dropping the spoon to the counter as she reached up to rub at the side of her neck.

"Really?"

Blake had no answer for that, but still, she wouldn't look away.

Gods, how she wanted that girl.

Yang smirked, pushing off the counter and turning around.

"That's what I thought." Her voice was smug, and Blake briefly considered throwing something at her, but her thought was interrupted by the blonde glancing at her over her shoulder.

"Hey, do you want a quickie?"

Blake's entire body froze up at the innocent sounding question, including her mind.

Instantly she pictured herself lying naked on Yang's bed, legs spread with Yang staring up at her, lilac eyes wide and deceptively innocent. With two fingers pushed inside her and a warm tongue savoring the taste of her arousal, Blake could practically hear Yang's soft moans and deep breaths as she curled her fingers up towards Blake's belly-button, hitting that spot that Blake had so much trouble getting to on her own-

A snapping sound pulled Blake back to the present, and she was met with a questioning look from Yang, palms held up as if to say, _what the hell?_

Blake could feel the heat emanating from her cheeks, and she was sure that her human set of ears would be cherry red if they had been visible from behind her curtain of hair.

"What- what the hell are you asking?" Blake practically snarled, embarrassment coursing through her like heated poison.

 _Great,_ Blake thought, _If that was her ill-refined way of coming on to you, you sure ruined it. How many times have you fantasized about fucking her on the kitchen table anyway?_

Yang's eyes widened in confusion, and she half turned back to the counter, picking up a silver mixing bowl. Tilting it forward for Blake to see inside, she gestured at it with her free hand.

"Y'know, a quickie. The egg-tart thingie?" Her tone was puzzled, as if not certain how there could possibly be any sort of misunderstanding.

Blake stared at Yang for a minute, not fully comprehending what the blonde was still going on about.

The question, 'are you still drunk?' was on the tip of her tongue, but before she could ask, it clicked.

Yang was _not_ asking her for a quickie.

"It's pronounced quiche!" Blake yelled, grasping the pillow firmly in her right hand before drawing her arm back as far as it would go.

Yang only had time to set down the mixing bowl before Blake whipped the pillow forward, unrelenting embarrassment at the misunderstanding quickly snuffing out most of her arousal.

The pillow caught Yang in the side of the head, but she was quick to catch it before it fell to the ground.

"Are you okay, Blake?" Yang asked, her voice tinted with concern. Blake huffed in reply, more upset with herself than with Yang, and she pushed herself off the couch. Stalking down the hall toward her room, she mentally lambasted herself both for the misunderstanding and her over-reaction to it.

"Is that a no, then?" Yang's teasing voice floated down the hallway to reach her sensitive ears through the wooden door that separated them.

Blake bit back an aggravated growl, as despite her embarrassment, her desire for Yang only grew.

Was that what the rest of their lives were going to be like? Blake wondered, leaning back against the door as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Were they doomed to a lifetime of curious glances, shy smiles, inappropriate jokes, and Yang drunkenly proclaiming that ' _if you're down to try it, I'm down to try it'_?

Closing her eyes, Blake leaned her head back against the door and sighed. How badly she'd wanted to take Yang up on that offer, but with how much they'd been drinking, it hadn't seemed right.

No.

Blake was determined to be truthful about what she was and what she wanted. If this was just some joke to Yang, better to find out now, than wonder for the rest of her life.

Pushing away from the door, Blake turned around and wrapped her fingers around the cold metal handle.

It was time to admit to Yang how she felt.

Pulling the door open, she took a deep breath as she walked slowly down the hallway. Smoothing out her hair, she ran her fingertips along the velvety soft fur along her cat ears. Making sure the little tufts of fur at the end were standing proud, she carefully smoothed out the fabric of her black silk kimono.

There was no backing down now.

At worst, she'd get a very awkward breakfast quiche, eaten in complete silence.

At best, she'd get a quickie. And if she got that, she did not plan on being silent.

* * *

Author's note: Updates to Knockout and MRBF coming soon. Vengeance is my Name will start getting monthly updates beginning in February some time. I'm actually couch surfing and between houses right now due to working two jobs and not having enough time or energy to go through the tedious process of applying and checking places out, but that should change soon, and I plan on devoting a LOT of my free time to writing as much of the highest quality stuff as I can, especially seeing as there's two episodes left of Volume 5, and then a hiatus. Everyone loves BumbleBY fics to get them through a hiatus.

Until next time, enjoy!


	60. Kali

.

 _Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Sixty: Kali_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

"Are you seriously that worried, Yang?" Blake turned to look at her partner incredulously, reaching up with her left hand to push her unruly, wavy hair out of her face.

Yang shrugged, glancing down at the ground even as doubt shadowed her face.

"I've never been serious enough with anyone to meet their parents before." The blonde murmured, her anxiety getting the best of her even as Blake's right hand tightened comfortingly around her left.

Blake sighed, tilting her head until it was resting against Yang's shoulder.

"It's so weird seeing you act like anything other than totally over-confident." Blake murmured quietly.

"Yeah?"

"It's nice." Blake smirked as Yang squeezed her hand lightly.

"Jerk." Yang muttered.

Blake snickered as they approached the front door to Blake's parent's house.

"Are you ready?"

Yang shrugged lightly. "Not like I have a choice."

"Oh, give it up." Blake chided lightly, reaching out and placing her hand on the doorknob. Tilting her head up and kissing Yang lightly on the cheek, she opened the door and pushed her way in, pulling a reluctant blonde in behind her.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Blake called out lightly, feeling Yang's hand tighten on her own in response to the sound.

 _"Relax."_ Blake whispered softly. Yang nodded stiffly, then pulled her hand out of Blake's as she bent down to take off her shoes.

Feeling particularly playful, Blake let her hand fall against Yang's backside, groping her girlfriend shamelessly even as the sound of light footfalls reached their ears.

 _"Blake!"_ Yang hissed, slapping Blake's hand away even as the faunus smirked cheekily at her partner.

 _"I want to make a good impression."_ Yang glared daggers at her partner, but they had no effect as Blake raised a single, slender eyebrow at the blonde, pushing her hip out as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other.

"It'll be fine." Blake lazily waved off her girlfriend's concerns.

Yang was about to reply, but was cut off by a questioning, "Blake? Is that you, honey?"

Yang straightened up as an older woman a few inches shorter than Blake stepped into the room, and in an uncharacteristic display of affection, Blake stepped forward to wrap the woman in a hug.

"Mom! I've missed you!" Blake nearly picked the woman up off her feet as she laughed, and Yang ran a hand through her hair nervously as she rubbed her socked toe around in circles on the smooth white tile floor.

"I've missed you too, dear."

The two girls separated, and Yang couldn't help but notice that Blake's smile was a bit wider, the light in her eyes seemingly brighter.

Blake rarely spoke of her personal life and her family, but it was obvious that she cared deeply for them.

"Where's dad?" Blake interrupted Yang's thoughts, and Yang shifted her gaze from the floor to Blake's mom, awaiting the response.

"He'll be back soon, he went out to deal with a few things."

As vague as an answer as it was, it seemed to be enough for Blake, who merely nodded.

"So?" Blake's mom spoke, "What brings you by? And who is your lovely friend here?"

Blake glanced at Yang, an unspoken question in her eyes.

Internally panicking, it was all Yang could do to force her head into a single nod.

It was enough.

The smile that curved Blake's lips was breathtaking, and Yang couldn't look away. The light shining in her eyes couldn't be tempered, and despite being totally lost in Blake's loving golden gaze, Yang didn't miss the way Blake's right ear dipped momentarily in gratitude.

"Mom, " Blake took a deep breath, turning to face the shorter woman, "This is Yang. She's my girlfriend, my partner, and the most important person in the world to me."

Yang watched Blake's mom sharply for any reaction, good or bad. She didn't miss the way the older woman's eyes widened ever so slightly as she absorbed the news, or the way they caught the light as she shifted back and forth between her daughter and Yang.

"So... " Her mother trailed off, attempting to gather her thoughts.

Yang shifted her weight from foot to foot, growing more uncomfortable with each passing second.

"So you're finally over Adam?" Her mother asked.

Yang was caught off guard by the question, and glanced toward Blake to see her reaction.

Blake bit her bottom lip for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Yes." She spoke finally. "He no longer has a hold on me. It's over with him."

Her mother nodded slowly, then reached out and pulled her daughter into a hug.

"I'm so glad, Blake. You and him never saw eye to eye on what was most important. He wasn't good for you. I'm glad you've got yourself sorted out."

The dumbfounded look on Blake's face when her mother finally released her was almost worth the excruciating awkwardness that Yang had to suffer though, she thought, as she slowly leaned against the wall of the front door.

"So you're Yang." Blake's mother turned to the blonde, and Yang pushed herself off the wall as swiftly as she could, straightening up to her full height as she nodded.

"Yeah. Er. Yes ma'am. I am."

Blake's mom glanced at her daughter, then looked back at Yang, stepping a bit closer as if to examine her.

"You can call me Kali." The woman said, reaching out with her right hand.

Hesitating, Yang glanced at Blake. When Blake smiled happily and nodded, Yang reached out with her right hand, supremely self-conscious about her mechanical right arm.

Kali, for her part, barely glanced at it before taking it in a firm handshake, her golden eyes seemingly picking Yang apart as she looked the blonde up and down.

"How long have you two been dating?" Kali asked.

Yang had braced for a mild interrogation, but Kali's tone seemed light and her question seemed borne of innocent curiosity.

"Almost a year." Yang replied, releasing Kali's hand. Reaching out with her left, she gripped her right forearm tightly.

"Since the day the school fell." Blake added, eyes falling to Yang's arm.

"Oh, so it's serious then." Kali teased, winking at Yang.

Yang smirked a bit, then nodded slowly. "There's nothing as important to me as the happiness and well-being of your daughter."

Kali raised an eyebrow, then turned to look back at her daughter. Yang couldn't see her face, but whatever expression she was making had Blake biting her bottom lip in embarrassment and looking away.

Turning back to Yang, Kali smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Yang."

"You too." Yang forced herself to make eye contact with Blake's mom, breathing a silent sigh of relief when Kali turned away to move further into the house.

"Well, why don't you two come in and have a seat? Blake, your father will be home soon, and I'm sure he would love to meet Yang."

Yang glanced at Blake helplessly, and Blake nodded reassuringly, a demure smile playing about her lips as she reached out and offered her hand to Yang.

 _It's fine._ Blake's near soundless whisper was nonetheless completely understood by the blonde who had spent the last two years obsessing over her girlfriend's every move.

Yang nodded, then took Blake's hand.

Clutching it securely, Blake lead Yang further into the house, following her mom as Kali lead them toward the livingroom.

"Have a seat, make yourselves comfortable." Kali gestured to a comfortable looking dark grey couch on the other side of a small glass coffee table as she herself sat in a large reclining chair.

"Can I get you two anything? Coffee? Water?"

Blake shook her head, and Yang followed suit.

"We'll wait for dad to get home." Blake replied, sitting down at one end of the couch and pulling Yang down beside her.

Kali smirked at the obvious discomfort etched on Yang's face, but Blake ignored it in favor of snuggling into Yang's side.

"Where is the rest of your team?" Kali asked, and Yang was about to answer, when Blake spoke up.

Content to let her girlfriend talk while she took stock of her surroundings, Yang briefly examined the house around them before letting her gaze settle on Kali as she attempted to listen to the conversation.

Which was made incredibly difficult with her wonderful, warm girlfriend pressed against her side, clutching Yang's arm as if it were a lifeline.

Kali was dressed conservatively. A white underdress was covered by a black hakama, flowing down beautifully to her dainty feet.

In stark contrast to Blake's preference for symmetry, Kali's appearance was anything but.

A black shrug bore a single sleeve covering her right arm, cut off at the shoulder and leaving her left arm protected by only an arm warmer. The edges of her outfit - shoulders, sleeves, waistband- was edged in gold, but not a shiny gold that shouted at you, rather a muted gold that only hinted at the grace and regality possessed by the older woman.

Though older, her face bore the same sharp features that Blake exhibited. Sharp golden eyes effortlessly tracked whatever shadow of movement that garnered her attention, and her petite nose seemed to lead her in whatever direction she looked, head tilting up ever so slightly when looking around as if sampling the air for the slightest shreds of information. To all but the sharpest observer, it would be imperceptible, but having lived with Blake long enough, Yang knew what to look for.

Her hair was short, curled around her neck and tickling her cheeks in a comforting style that seemed to exude maternal care. Just looking at her, Yang felt a sense of warmth and safety from the older woman that had been lacking most of her life.

Despite the calm, knowing, maternal grace that Kali carried herself with, however, there were still signs of a rebellious youth. Kali moved with a fluidity that belied her older nature, an ease that hinted at muscles still rigorously trained and frequently used. The calm expression on her face was likely enforced by a large amount of training, with or without a weapon, and Yang had a feeling it would be difficult to upset the woman.

Her cat ears stood tall upon her head, and were much more still than Blake's over-active ones. Used to the sounds of her house and the area surrounding it, they flicked and dipped lazily instead of swivelling this way and that like a satellite dish tracking a satellite in fast forward.

Her right ear was pierced in two spots, her left ear in one, and while Yang could only guess as to the shiny studs or grandoise hoops they may have once sported in her youth, now they held simple, tasteful gold spheres.

As Kali talked, Yang continued to observe her, observing the way Kali tucked her legs up underneath her not unlike Blake would when particularly engrossed in a good book.

Her teeth were immaculate, a snow white that only served to draw Yang's gaze to the elongated fangs that flashed beneath her lips, pink tongue effortlessly twisting this way and that as she spoke, laughed, and licked her lips or caressed her fangs.

The more Yang observed, the more she came to realize that Kali was _strong._

Not in the heated, ferocious, injustice-fueled teenage angst way that Blake was strong, slashing through enemies with overwhelming force, but _strong._

A dangerous strength rippled beneath the surface of Kali, a power barely contained by tanned skin and taut muscles.

It was strength borne of years and years of fighting. Fighting for her people, for her family. For her daughter. For her husband.

It was a quiet, calm strength that needed no announcement. An ire that would be difficult to raise, and nearly impossible to extinguish.

Yang suppressed a shiver, tearing her eyes away from Blake's mom long enough to glance down at her girlfriend.

As crass as it was, it was very true. If you want to know how a girl will age, take a look at her mother.

Blake was going to be even more beautiful than she was now.

* * *

"G'night mom, night dad, see you in the morning." Blake stifled a yawn with a hand over her mouth as she put her other hand on the door handle to her old room. Yang copied Blake's wave, before turning back to face her girlfriend.

Blake smiled happily at her before turning the handle and pushing the door open.

"Are you sure they're fine with us sharing a room?" Yang asked somewhat nervously, stepping into the room behind Blake and closing the door tightly behind her.

Blake rolled her eyes, lightly scoffing in a way that was unsettlingly similar to Weiss.

"What are you gonna do, get me pregnant?" Blake teased, moving toward the twin-sized bed in the middle of the room. Reaching down she grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head before dropping it carelessly to the floor. Running her hand through her hair, she went through the motions of pretending to smooth it down, while really only messing it up in that wild, carefree way that she knew drove Yang crazy.

"Besides, " She continued, hooking her thumbs in the waistband of her pants, "We've slept in the same room for a year, and the same bed the year after that. They can't really stop it now."

Yang had no reply as Blake slipped off her pants, bending over at the waist to slip them off her feet. Wiggling her ass side to side for good measure knowing full well that Yang was staring, Blake took her time straightening up.

Giving in to Blake's teasing pretty much immediately, Yang barely suppressed a wanting moan of desire as she crossed the distance separating them in two swift steps.

Grabbing Blake roughly by the back of the neck, Yang pushed Blake face-first against the nearest wall, the raven-haired girl's moan of pleasure fueling the fire growing in the pit of her stomach.

With the left side of her face pressed against the cold surface of the bedroom wall, Blake glanced over her right shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Yang as the blonde pressed herself up against Blake's body.

"I had no idea you were so turned on." Blake whispered.

Yang's fingers tightened, digging into Blake's throat. Biting her bottom lip, Blake merely giggled at the rough treatment, pushing her ass out against Yang's hips.

"What's got you in the mood? Feeling naughty about the idea of fucking me in my childhood bed, under the same roof as my parents?"

It was a barely audible whisper, and Yang struggled to hear it, but the blonde knew that it wasn't her hearing that Blake was concerned about. A flash of nervousness raced through her, but was quickly overwhelmed by the incredible arousal burning through her.

"Honestly?" Yang spoke, pushing up against Blake and trapping her against the wall. Lowering her lips until they were brushing against the tip of Blake's right ear, Yang gently blew a soft breath across the tuft of black hair standing to attention on the tip of her ear. Blake closed her eyes and trembled against her, a whining sound in the back of her throat reaching Yang's ears and making her grin.

"Your mom got me all worked up." Yang whispered.

"What!?" Blake whispered incredulously, clearly caught off guard by the response.

Yang chuckled, reaching down with her free hand to shamelessly grope her girlfriend's ass.

"Your mom is hot as fuck." Yang continued, pushing up against Blake in what was now a full on pelvic grind. "All night I couldn't look away from her. Your dad is a lucky guy."

"I'm... I'm not sure how to feel about that," Blake whispered softly, reaching up to bite her finger lest she moan too loudly.

Yang pulled Blake's face away from the wall, her fingers still clutching her neck and fully entangled in her messy hair.

Pulling aside the locks that covered Blake's back, Yang lowered her lips to Blake's shoulder, trailing soft kisses up to the base of her neck where she bit the girl teasingly.

"I know how I feel about it." Yang replied cheekily, sliding her tongue up Blake's throat.

"It's comforting to know that when you reach her age, you'll be that attractive." Yang teased, her voice barely audible in the silence of the room.

Blake tried to sound indignant, but it came out as a breathy, wanting moan instead, and she abandoned all pretenses of taking offense at Yang's words.

"I'm glad you plan on sticking around that long." Blake murmured, placing her palms against the wall that she was being held inches from.

"I'm never leaving you." Yang's voice dipped with emotion, a slash of transparency in the curtain of her desire.

Blake pushed herself off the wall, and Yang's grip relaxed on her neck, letting Blake spin around to face her. Caressing the back of Blake's head, Yang pulled her in close for a kiss. Blake willingly obliged, leaning back against the wall and tugging Yang closer to herself.

They were always gentle at first, Yang placing timid kisses against Blake's wanting lips. Blake had little patience for such things, however, and she nipped Yang sharply on the bottom lip, causing the girl to inhale sharply.

With Yang's lips parted, Blake seized the opportunity to deepen the kiss, tilting her head to the side and slipping her tongue into Yang's mouth. The blonde responded in kind, hands falling to Blake's waist and cradling her protectively.

The kiss lasted for several seconds, Blake only pulling away when Yang's fingers began digging into her hips. Settling for kissing a trail up Yang's jaw toward her ear, Blake nipped playfully at Yang's earlobe.

"Why do you still have clothes on?" Blake whispered breathlessly, hands slipping up underneath Yang's shirt.

Yang smirked, but said nothing. Pulling away from Blake, she watched as the raven haired girl sauntered over to the bed, hips swaying in that tantalizing, teasing way that only Blake seemed to be able to do.

"Hurry up, Yang." Blake murmured, leaning over and placing her palms on the bed. Slowly, ever so agonizingly slowly, Blake lifted one leg up onto the bed, all at once spreading her legs to tease Yang and tightening the muscles in her legs and ass to show off her hard earned muscle tone.

Yang could only stare in rapt appreciation as Blake lifted her other leg onto the bed, pausing there for a moment to let her hips sway side to side.

"Come get it."

Yang was beckoned into action by the call, and she moved toward the bed even as she hurriedly stripped herself of all her clothing. The last thing to go was her black thong, sliding down toned legs before being abandoned on the floor.

The bed dipped slightly with the added weight of Yang, but it made no noise and for that they were both grateful.

Yang had positioned herself behind Blake, and Blake responded in kind, pushing her hips back against Yang.

Reaching out, Yang grabbed a handful of Blake's hair, tugging firmly on it and making Blake's back arch as the girl tilted her head back.

"God, Yang, I love it when you do that." Blake barely managed to hold back a moan, and Yang grinned as she released her hair in favor of raking her nails down Blake's bare back. Dark red scratches temporarily marred otherwise silky white skin, and breathy murmurs of _harder_ tickled Yang's ears.

Denying Blake was sometimes as much fun as giving in, and Yang ignored the girl in favor of roughly grabbing her hips and pushing Blake onto her side. Sensing what it was Yang wanted, Blake rolled over onto her back, reaching up over her head with her arms to clutch at the fabric of the blankets as Yang all but voraciously attacked her.

"Do- do you think they'll hear us?" Blake moaned, back arching as Yang dipped her head down to suckle on her right breast. Yang's tongue pressed against Blake's erect nipple, shielding it from her sharp teeth. Blake ran her hands through Yang's hair, tangling her fingers in the messy golden locks. A gentle tug had Yang releasing Blake's tender, sensitive breast, and leaning up to feverishly kiss her on the mouth. As their tongues waged war against each other, Yang remembered that Blake had asked a question. Feeling a bit risky, Yang dipped down to swipe her tongue along Blake's collarbone before finally settling on an answer.

"I kind of hope she does."

* * *

Author's note: Let me know what you think! As we move into the hiatus between RWBY volumes, I'll be looking to fill that void by continuing with an assortment of one-shots and updating current stories, so there's lots more to come. I hope you enjoyed this one. I plan on exploring the idea of Yang meeting Blake's mom some more in the future, because I think there's a lot of fun to be had there.

Until next time!


	61. Zero Two One Four

_Of Sunsets And Night Skies_

 _Chapter Sixty-One: Zero Two One Four_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

"Morning, love."

It was a near silent whisper, the softest of sounds escaping Blake's lips, but Yang heard every adoring syllable as if she were shouting. Opening sleepy lilac eyes, Yang's vision was filled with Blake's beautiful face. Orbs of molten gold shifted back and forth as Blake stared into Yang's half-lidded eyes, the raven-haired faunus considerably more awake than her blonde counterpart.

"Good morning Blakey." Yang murmured, her voice low and rough from sleep. As Yang became more aware of her surroundings, she realized that she was laying on her left side, Blake pressed tightly up against her as they lay in Yang's bed. Yang's right arm was draped over Blake's hips, loosely holding the faunus close to her.

The blankets that covered them were pulled up nearly to their shoulders, tucked comfortingly underneath their feet even as their legs entwined tightly with each others.

Blake smiled happily, crinkling her nose playfully at Yang before leaning in to press soft, warm lips against Yang's nose.

"How was your sleep?" Blake asked softly, reaching out to place her palm against Yang's cheek. Yang rubbed her hand slowly up and down Blake's back, earning a soft moan of appreciation from the cat faunus.

"It was nice with you by my side." Yang reached up and placed her hand atop Blake's. Tilting her head up, she placed a small kiss on the inside of Blake's wrist before laying back down and continuing to stare into Blake's eyes.

Blake giggled- a very uncharacteristic sound from the normally stoic, reserved girl- and gently scratched her fingernails along the back of Yang's neck, feeling the warmth of Yang's skin beneath her palm.

As Blake gently scratched, Yang's eyelids drooped until her eyes were barely open, a hum of appreciation reaching Blake's ears. Blake leaned forward until their noses were touching, closing her eyes as she pressed her forehead against Yang's.

"What do you want to do today?" Yang asked, her words slightly slurring as she fought the urge to fall back asleep.

Blake's free ear twitched as she angled it toward Yang, picking up the soft sound of her rhythmic heart beat.

"There's nothing I want to do more than lie here with you." Blake whispered quietly, palm caressing Yang's chin.

Yang smirked lazily, closing her eyes fully now as she slipped her hand up beneath the loose-fitting black t-shirt that passed for sleepwear. Pressing her palm against Blake's naked back, she cradled the girl close, pressing her hips against Blake's in an attempt to squeeze out any last bit of remaining space between them.

"Looks like we both have the same idea, then."

The raven-haired girl slid her fingers from Yang's neck down to her lower back, applying just enough pressure to tickle. Yang writhed beneath her touch, humming softly in false protest.

"We can't be running at full bore all the time." Blake murmured. "It's nice to just do nothing for a while, y'know?"

Yang nodded slowly, her forehead brushing against her partner's. Copying Blake, she caressed a path from the faunus' back to her chest, internally delighting for not the first time that Blake had forsaken a bra as part of her sleepwear. Yang's fingers danced lightly over heated skin, teasing the edges of Blake's wonderously soft, supple chest. Before Blake could react, Yang's fingertips fell to her side, rising and falling in minute waves as she traced a curving path down Blake's ribcage. Blake's side dropped off into a narrow waist before rising sharply once more, Yang's hand finding the hard edge of her hip bone that lead into wide, flaring hips.

"Are you nothing because I'd love t- "

Blake cut Yang off with a kiss, saving herself from what she knew Yang was going to say. Yang didn't seem to mind the interruption, however, as her hand clutched Blake's hip tightly.

Blake's lips were soft in a way Yang almost couldn't describe. In comparison, her own felt too rough, chapped by constant biting and rough treatment. Blake always seemed to have the faintest taste of strawberries on her lips, and Yang was certain that the girl never went anywhere without some sort of lip balm.

When Blake kissed her, the stoic, determined warrior seemed to fade away to nothing. The part of Blake that was hidden from everyone shone through, a timid, teenaged school girl who wasn't quite confident in her ability to demonstrate affection. It was adorable, and Yang was incredibly happy that she was the one who got to experience that unknown side of her partner.

Blake's left hand came up to caress her cheek once more, her fingers catching locks of blonde yet neither seeming to notice or even care. Despite initiating the kiss, Blake wasn't rough or forceful, and seemed content to let Yang lead.

Which Yang did happily. Blake's incredibly soft lips yielded effortlessly to her more aggressive kissing, a soft moan of pleasure stirring in the back of the blonde's throat at how pleasing it was to have Blake submit so completely to her.

"I love kissing you so much... " Yang breathed quietly, pulling back just enough to move her lips against Blake's.

Blake's lips curved into a saucy smirk.

"Then shut up and kiss me."

Yang needed no further invitation. Reaching up, she grabbed Blake's hand and pulled it away from her face. Wrapping her hand around Blake's wrist, she pushed the girl down onto her back, pinning her arms above her head.

Disentangling her legs from Blake's, she slung her leg over Blake's hips and straddled the girl, hovering over her as she stared down at her partner.

Blake moaned suggestively, arching her back and pushing her chest out teasingly. The black fabric of her t-shirt stretched tightly over her chest, betraying her growing arousal as her hardening nipples began to show beneath her shirt.

Dipping her head, Yang once more kissed Blake on the mouth. The raven-haired faunus tilted her head up, hungrily parting her lips in an effort to increase the contact between them, but Yang teasingly pulled away.

A frustrated mewl escaped the faunus, and Yang snickered.

"Not so fast, love." Yang whispered, leaning down and kissing Blake on the throat. Blake squirmed beneath her, arching her back up and pressing her chest against Yang even as she lifted a leg to press her knee between Yang's legs.

Shifting her weight back, Yang rocked her hips back and forth on Blake's knee, tightening her grip on Blake's wrists as she latched her lips onto Blake's throat, sucking gently.

"No- no marks- Yang!" Blake's breath caught in her throat as arousal flooded through her, and she weakly thrashed against Yang's grip. Yang groaned as Blake's knee pressed harder against her groin, and reluctantly she released her hold on Blake's throat.

"Where's the fun in that?" Yang whispered, lips ghosting over Blake's throat.

Blake nuzzled against Yang.

"What would your sister say? What would Weiss say?" Blake murmured.

"I'm not sure I care." Yang languidly licked the side of Blake's throat, trailing her tongue from her collarbone to just beneath her ear.

"Well I do." Blake barely managed to speak before Yang elicted another mewl from her.

"I love the sounds you make." Yang teased lightly, causing a rush of heat to flood Blake's cheeks that had nothing to do with the way Yang pinned her effortlessly to the bed.

"I love the way you make me make those sounds." Blake closed her eyes and tilted her head back as Yang once again buried her face in the crook of her neck. Yang slowly rocked back and forth, grinding against Blake's thigh, and Blake bit her lip as she began to feel a familiar wetness dampening her thigh.

"I love how easy you are." Blake whispered, inhaling sharply as Yang bit down roughly on her shoulder in response. Yang said nothing, but her grip loosened on Blake's wrists, allowing the raven-haired girl to slip out of her grasp. Blake's ears twitched as a shuddering gasp of breath caught her attention. Yang trembled against her as Blake reached up to caress her partner, left hand cradling the back of Yang's head as her right hand landed on Yang's ass. Blake shamelessly groped her partner, squeezing her firm backside before pulling Yang roughly against her thigh. Yang whimpered as she began speeding up, rocking her hips as the bed began to protest the movement with gentle, rhythmic squeaks.

A dull, persistent ache in Blake's shoulder bloomed into a sharper, more insistent pain, and it was all Blake could do to keep herself from crying out in pleasure as Yang's teeth sunk deeper into her flesh. Yang was far from breaking through her skin, but that made it no less pleasurable as the blonde increased her intensity, frantically grinding against Blake's thigh as her breaths came sharper and faster.

Knowing that Yang was getting close, Blake focused on applying steady pressure with her leg, clawing at Yang's back as she pulled the blonde tightly against her. Yang shivered, then paused for a fraction of a second before continuing, whimpering moans escaping her with every powerful, frantic rocking of her hips.

"Blake... Blake!" Yang convulsed against her raven-haired partner, her voice catching in her throat as she called out Blake's name. Her hips twitched erratically against Blake's thigh as she reached her peak, and Blake knew better than to move as Yang eked out every last bit of pleasure she could, hot breaths and panting moans filling her ears and tickling her neck.

With a final cry, Yang collapsed atop her partner, gasping for breath as Blake slowly relaxed her leg. Yang shifted her weight until she was more comfortable sprawled out on top of her partner, and they lay there in silence for a few minutes as Yang struggled to manage her breathing.

"Have fun?" Blake teased, wincing as Yang nodded, inadvertently jostling her now very sore shoulder. Blake was sure that despite her plea for no marks, Yang had probably managed to make Blake look like an assault victim.

"That- that... thanks." Yang managed to murmur, and Blake giggled. Tilting her head up, she kissed Yang on the temple, reaching up to brush her damp blonde hair away from flushed red skin.

Yang lifted her head from Blake's chest where she lay catching her breath, pushing her damp bangs out of her eyes as she turned deep lilac eyes on her partner.

"Ohhh... sorry Blake." Yang's voice dipped, weighed down with guilt, and Blake raised an eyebrow.

"For?" Blake gently caressed Yang's back, fingertips ghosting over the slightly raised red scratches that adorned the blonde's skin.

"I accidentally marked up your throat."

Blake rolled her eyes, unable to keep the smile from spreading across her face. Leaning up, she kissed Yang on the nose before dropping her head back down onto the bed.

"Yeah, I kinda figured as much. How bad is it?"

Yang shrugged, then reached out and gently placed her hand on Blake's cheek. Tilting Blake's head to the side, she studied her partner carefully.

"It's not... terrible." Yang settled on the word after much deliberation, raising her eyes back up to meet exasperated gold.

"You're lucky I love you." Blake muttered. Yang chuckled quietly.

"I love you too, Blake." Yang gently touched her nose to Blake's, nuzzling against her.

"Oh, and Yang?"

Yang raised any eyebrow at Blake's tone, her curiosity piqued.

"Hmm?"

Blake reached up and wrapped her hands around the back of Yang's neck.

"Happy Valentine's day, love."

Blake pulled Yang down into a kiss before she could respond, and when Blake was finished with her girlfriend, Yang wouldn't be _able_ to respond.

* * *

Author's note: Pointless fluff. Hope you enjoyed. Happy Valentine's Day to all of my wonderful readers out there, I hope you have a great day!


	62. Ceasefire

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Sixty-Two: Ceasefire_

 _BumbleBY_

* * *

Everything hurt.

It was a lazy description, the blonde thought, gritting her teeth as she put one foot in front of the other, but it was apt.

Every part of her body hurt. Her right arm had gone numb a while ago, and if she hadn't looked to make sure it was still there, she'd have sworn it had been blown off in the explosion. Through all the blood she'd glimpsed the pale white of exposed bone and had immediately looked away lest she pass out.

Lifting her left hand, she pushed her messy blonde hair out of her face, pulling it over her left shoulder to keep it out of her eyes.

Try as she might, she couldn't keep the memory from overwhelming her. The more she tried not to think about it, the more it pushed its way to the front of her mind.

Wide lilac eyes glanced around, trying to absorb every detail in the low lighting of a moonlit night. She didn't know where she was, or where she was going, but all she knew was that she needed help.

Her boot caught a rock and she stumbled, falling to the ground with a sharp cry of pain. Breathing in deeply through clenched teeth, she ignored the ache in her knees and in the palm of her left hand as she scrambled around, searching for the rifle that she'd dropped.

Fingers brushed against cold metal, and she hurriedly picked up her rifle. Clutching it to her chest, she pushed herself to her feet with nothing but sheer determination, her energy long ago completely sapped.

She swayed unsteadily on her feet for a moment, but when she was sure that she'd be okay, she began walking again. Keeping her head up and eyes scanning for some sort of refuge, it wasn't long until a small, dilapidated shack caught her eye. Slipping her rifle's strap around her neck. she breathed a small sigh of resignation before slowly shuffling toward the seemingly abandoned structure.

At least, she hoped it was abandoned as it appeared. With sunken, curved walls and a roof that seemed questionably stable, she wasn't sure what seemed more likely to kill her; roaming enemies or a structural collapse.

Her chest ached as she tried to take a deep breath; catching in her throat, she coughed loudly as her head throbbed painfully.

Making her way toward the small, rundown building that represented her best chance of survival, her mind wandered back to things she wished she could forget.

* * *

 _"Yang, I don't think we're going to find much out here. Are you sure this isn't just a waste of our time?"_

 _The blonde stepped carefully across the barren rocky landscape as she surveyed the horizon, the setting sun lengthening the shadows and playing tricks on her mind._

 _"Rubes, we can never be too careful. You've seen those chameleon faunus. They can blend into any surrounding they want. They'd be right on top of us and we'd never know until it's too late."_

 _Behind her, Yang heard a resigned sigh._

 _"I guess."_

 _The sound of a magazine being ejected reached her ears, then the quiet clacking of metal as it was reinserted. Yang fought the urge to tell her little sister to stop being so antsy._

 _"I just feel like these patrols are a waste of time. We've never encountered hostiles this close to camp. We only ever engage targets from the air."_

 _Yang snickered quietly._

 _"Do you want to go tell Pyrrha that you think her perimeter patrols are a waste of time?"_

 _Ruby didn't answer, and it was answer enough._

 _"Exactly." Yang's tone was smugly superior._

 _"Besides, " Yang glanced over her left shoulder at her younger sister, "Boring patrols are best. It means that the enemy hasn't breached our outer de-"_

 _'Click'_

 _Yang barely had time to register the soft clicking sound before a deafening explosion erupted in front of her, immediately blowing out her right eardrum. The force of the explosion pushed her back, lifting her off her feet and hurtling her across the ground as an intense ball of heat ravaged her body. The heatwave stole the breath from her chest and seared her lungs, rendering her unable to breathe even as she slammed into the dirt fifteen yards away from where she had been standing._

 _Gasping for breath but unable to catch her breath, Yang blinked dirt and grit from her eyes as fought to come to her senses, struggling to figure out what the hell had just happened and where she was._

 _As her vision cleared, the first thing she became aware of was little bits of charred material scattered across the ground, some smoldering, some still burning. Her first thought was that she had been struck by some sort of mortar shell, but as she dizzily pushed herself to her feet, she realized that she would have surely been dead if that were the case._

 _Trying again, Yang barely managed to inhale the slightest breath, immediately coughing as dust and hot air entered her lungs. Glancing down at herself as her head swam, she gave herself a once-over. Clearly since she was standing, she still had her legs. That was good. A quick glance at her right leg showed her handgun was still tightly in its holster. Her rifle hadn't fared so well; slung around her neck, it had met the ground with brutal force upon landing. The optical sight was mangled, missing both the front and rear cover. Bits of glass stuck to the edge of the frame, and Yang knew it was shattered. Dirt coated every square inch of the thing, and - was that blood?_

 _Yang looked a bit closer, reaching up to wipe at the side of the gun in her left hand._

 _At least, she tried._

 _Panic gripped her as sudden pain wracked her body, and she glanced down at her right arm. It was limp by her side, unresponsive and covered in dark, wet blood._

 _"Oh God... "_

 _Yang's breaths came short and fast as she reached over with her left hand. Pulling at her right elbow, she choked back a scream as pain lanced through her body, paralyzing her shoulder._

 _Her arm was definitely broken, and probably more than once._

 _Ruby had a first aid kit, didn't she...?_

 _"RUBY!" Yang's voice was raw as she screamed her sister's name, spinning around on her heel as she looked this way and that for any sign of her sister. Almost immediately she saw a motionless body lying some thirty feet away, and a cold fear gripped her heart as she instantly dashed toward her sister._

 _There was no way that Ruby was dead-_

* * *

Yang wiped at her mouth with the back of her left hand, a strange sort of cold settling into her right arm.

The more she thought about it, the sicker she felt.

The more she thought about it, the more she was certain that they hadn't been shelled by enemy fire.

A chill ran down her back and she shivered, biting her bottom lip as she reached the rough shack she'd been aiming for. Placing her hand on the handle, she hesitated only a moment before giving it a twist and pushing it open. The door creaked open slowly, a bit too noisily for Yang's liking, but it opened nonetheless, revealing an inky black interior.

Swallowing nervously, Yang stepped slowly inside.

Yang was almost certain they'd fallen victim to a suicide bomber. A chameleon faunus, blended into the background and laden with explosives. Most didn't waste their time on foot patrols, but it was startlingly clear that that is what they had been struck by.

The subtle clicking of a detonator, the blast originating from down low but not leaving a crater, and the distinct lack of reports of shelling or artillery in that region all but confirmed it.

One- or many- concealed faunus carrying explosives had been advancing slowly on their home base, and they had had the extreme misfortune of crossing paths with one.

Yang shivered once more, pushing the thought to the back of her head.

She couldn't dwell on that right now; she had bigger things to worry about. She was beginning to get dizzy; she was losing blood at an alarming rate, and she just wanted to lay down and rest for a minute.

Gods, how she just wanted to lie down and close her eyes...

Stumbling forward as her legs gave out, she caught herself on the edge of a counter as her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. She was standing in what used to be a kitchen, and it was a disaster. The floor was littered with trash, and in the corner, a broken table slanted toward the floor with two of its four legs broken.

Yang moved slowly toward a doorway, hoping to find a living room or bedroom of sorts, with a bed or couch somewhat intact enough for her to lay on.

Carefully picking her way around the messy floor in an attempt to stay at least somewhat quiet, Yang paused at the doorway, leaning against it as she poked her head around the corner.

A quiet sigh of relief escaped her lips as she saw exactly what she'd been hoping for; against the far wall sat a blue couch. Moving toward it, she paused to grab one of the cushions that had found its way onto the floor. Dropping it back into its rightful place, Yang unclipped her rifle from her vest before slowly lowering herself onto the couch.

Wincing as pain lanced up her arm, through her shoulder, and into her neck, she cradled her arm closely to her chest as her mind kicked into overdrive, wondering exactly what she was going to do to get back home to safety.

Reaching up with her left hand, Yang grabbed at her chest, fingers feeling around until they detected the familiar lump that was her phone. A soft tear of velcro seemed too loud in the still, quiet air, but Yang paid it no mind as she opened the pocket on the front of her vest that held her phone.

Pulling it out, she was glad to see that it was relatively unscathed. Ensconced securely in a thick, protective case, it had survived the brunt of the explosion mainly by way of Yang having had her torso turned to face Ruby when it had gone off.

Swallowing roughly, Yang ignored the dryness in her throat. Unlocking her phone, she quickly selected the icon labeled BEACON, waiting far longer than felt necessary for it to load.

Once it did, however, she flipped a simple toggle, and her phone immediately began to broadcast her location back to base, an emergency alert that they would hopefully zero in on quickly.

Satisfied that she'd done what she could, she slipped her phone back into her vest.

She really needed to find some water...

 _Thunk!_

Yang froze, holding her breath as her eyes widened. Somewhere in this abandoned house, someone or something had dropped or kicked something.

Instincts kicking in, Yang slowly pushed herself up from her sideways slouched position into a more seated one. Slowly grabbing her rifle from the cushion beside her- she didn't even know if the goddamn thing still worked after the explosion- she trained it on the open doorway to the left. Clicking the safety off, she winced as the minuscule clicking seemed to roar through the silence of the darkened house.

Slowly exhaling, Yang tried her best to steady her hands. Every part of her training told her to drop her possibly damaged rifle and to use her handgun instead, but it was strapped to her right leg, and her right arm was useless. Trying to unclip it with her left hand would be an exercise in frustration and futility, and she was a terrible shot with her left hand anyway.

So she held steady, eyes trained on the open doorway to the left side of the room. The silence was so loud in her ears, that when another soft tap sounded, it might as well have been a gunshot. Tempering her nerves, she licked her lips as she raised the rifle up, pushing the stock against her shoulder and slipping her finger inside the trigger guard. Patiently she waited, counting the seconds as they rolled by...

There! Her finger squeezed the trigger the instant a flash of black slipped through the doorway, but to her dismay, the gun failed to fire, clicking uselessly in her hands.

The clicking was enough to alert the intruder, and Yang froze as the intruder spun to face her. Clad all in black, there wasn't a single detail that grabbed Yang's attention except for two piercingly bright gold eyes staring at her.

They both froze, each examining the other. Yang looked the figure up and down. A backward facing, flat brimmed black hat covered the intruder's head. Hauntingly beautiful, inscrutable molten gold eyes studied her, and that was the only feature visible. Mouth and nose were covered by a black cloth, tied up behind the figure's neck. A black sleeveless shirt covered their torso, and long, slender arms ended in black fingerless gloves. In one hand, a small handgun, and in the other, a knife. Black cargo pants covered their lower body, tucked into tightly tied up boots. Strapped to their thigh was a holster, presumably for the pistol, and slung around their back was a rifle that was almost as long as the figure themselves.

It appeared to be a highly modified sniper rifle, but Yang didn't have time to study it in detail as the figure broke from their trance, stalking toward Yang.

Panicking, Yang raised her rifle once more and squeezed the trigger, but it was pointless. Once the figure was in range, a sharp kick dislodged the broken weapon from Yang's grasp, earning a curse from the blonde as the weapon was torn painfully from her grasp.

"Are you going to kill me?" Yang asked, lifting her head defiantly to stare at the figure looming in front of her. On her face was an expression of defiance, but in her mind, she was terrified.

The hand clutching the knife came up, and a finger hooked around the cloth covering their face. Pulling it down, Yang saw a small nose, slender face, and shapely lips.

"Do you have food?" The intruder spoke, the voice lilting and feminine.

"Huh?"

"Do you have food?" The girl spoke again, staring unblinkingly at her.

"What's it to you?" Yang asked. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to try to get her sidearm from her leg holster, but she fought those instincts down as she twisted slowly to the right. Under the guise of cradling her damaged arm, she rolled her right leg outward, tucking her gun away from sight, so the intruder wouldn't see it. Her heart hammered in her chest and her arm throbbed painfully, but she forced herself to relax, not looking away from the girl standing in front of her.

"I need food."

Yang blinked. "And I need medical attention." Yang retorted, gesturing to her bloody sleeve. "We don't always get what we want."

The black-clad figure glanced at Yang's limp arm, and her golden eyes narrowed slightly.

"I have aid if you have food." The girl spoke quietly.

Yang studied the figure in front of her curiously, weighing the seriousness of her situation against the chance that help was on the way and would reach her in time.

"I think I require pretty serious attention." Yang spoke sardonically.

"I think you need _immediate_ attention."

Yang was silent for a moment, contemplating her situation. The feeling of her fingers going cold and numb was increasingly unsettling, and she bit her lip.

"What the hell makes you think I'd trust you?" Yang gestured at the girl. "Judging by your eyes, you're a faunus, aren't you? Just kill me and get it over with."

The girl opened her mouth to speak, then apparently thought better of what she was going to say. Closing her mouth, she holstered her gun, and sheathed her knife.

"Do you have food or not? If not, I need to leave immediately. I haven't eaten in three days." The girl held her arms out, palms up as if to demonstrate how helpless her current situation was.

Yang eyed her distrustfully.

"I-" Yang winced as a sudden streak of pain rushed through her arm, and she sighed.

"Can you actually help me?" Yang asked, tilting her head toward her damaged extremity.

Liquid gold flowed from Yang's face, to her arm, and back again.

"Food first."

Yang sighed in defeat. Reaching up to her vest, she slowly drew down a zipper.

 _Was she really about to hand over some of her rations to an enemy with no expectation of reciprocity?_

As Yang slipped her hand inside her vest, the girl in front of her tensed, crouching a bit and eyeing her apprehensively.

"Relax." Yang scoffed derisively. Hands closing around one of her protein bars, she pulled it out. Holding it up teasingly she wagged it back and forth.

"This what you want?"

The hungry look in the girl's eyes answered her question completely, even as she nodded slowly.

Yang rolled her eyes. Holding it out, she watched in mild amusement and partial impatience as the girl slowly, timidly reached out to take it.

"Take the damn thing!" Yang shook it at her, and the girl withdrew swiftly at the movement, looking up from the offered food to Yang with guarded distrust.

"Today?" Yang spoke impatiently.

The girl hesitated, then reached out lightning quick, snatching the bar from between Yang's fingers.

"Yeah, I figured a- Hey, wait! Where are you going!?" Yang raised her hand up in disbelief as the girl swiftly darted toward the door, disappearing as swiftly as she'd arrived.

"Are you fucking serious?" Yang swore, slapping her leg in frustration. Glaring at the empty doorway, she crossed her good arm over her chest.

Great, now the girl had disappeared, and Yang was down on rations. So much for that. Staring angrily at the now empty doorway, Yang gnawed roughly on her bottom lip.

"Stupid... "

Sighing loudly, Yang set about freeing her gun from her leg holster. If that thief came back, Yang wanted to be sure that she could defend herself.

Twisting her leg over, Yang reached down as far as she could with her left hand. Fingers grasping at the release, she huffed in frustration as her fingertips slipped repeatedly off the hard plastic.

"Stupid, goddamn-" Her fingers finally caught the release tab, and the holser popped open, releasing it's grip on her gun. Carefully pulling it out, she relaxed her leg as she placed the gun in her lap.

She wasn't the best shot with her left hand, that was for sure, but she was certain she wouldn't miss at such a close distance.

Biting her lip, she looked around herself for the best place to hide it. It had to be close, but easily concealed. Glancing at a torn up throw pillow, she placed the gun on the couch beside her, then placed the throw pillow neatly atop it, holding it down with her elbow.

Perfect. She could reach it in a second, and it was on her left side, close to her hand.

Now if only that damned rat would come back, Yang thought.

As if to answer her, a small thump sounded from the far side of the house. In an instant, Yang had to decide whether to draw the gun and take a shot, or keep it hidden and see how it played out. Was she coming back to finish Yang off?

Paralyzed by indecision, Yang hadn't moved when the dark figure rounded the corner once more, but Yang was surprised- and extremely pleased- to see that she was carrying a small red bag. As her initial ire began to fade out, her expression softened.

"I thought you took it and ran." Yang spoke by way of greeting.

The girl glanced at her warily, moving slowly closer until she could sit on the edge of the couch, at Yang's right side.

"That would be a very dishonourable, human thing to do." The girl murmured quietly.

"Excuse me?" Yang asked, hardly believing her ears. "That's needlessly insulting."

The girl shrugged, placing the small red bag down on Yang's lap. "Sounds like a 'you' problem."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Do you even know what you're doing?"

The girl paused, then looked up at Yang, eyes shining brightly in the dim room.

"Mostly." She answered, a hint of mirth evident in her tone.

"I don't really like the sounds of that... "

"Oh whatever, you'll be fine." The girl waved her off dismissively. Yang thought about voicing a sarcastic thought, but quickly decided against it as pain stabbed through her.

"This will probably hurt- a lot." The girl said. "If you want some field-procured pain management, let me know."

The term was foreign to Yang, and her curiosity got the better of her.

"Field-procured pain management?"

The girl smirked. "I go outside, find a stick or something for you to bite on, and jam it in your yap. Keeps you from whining too loudly."

Yang rolled her eyes. "I think I'll be fine."

"Good." The girl reached out cautiously, still apparently incredibly uneasy around the blonde despite her easy-going, cajoling tone.

"I'm going to start now." The girl warned, and Yang decided it would be best to look away. Turning her head to the left, she stared at the opposite wall as she felt fingers begin to tug on the tattered, bloody remains of her sleeve.

"Hey, wouldn't a light help?" Yang asked quietly, trying her best to quell the bubbly feeling of unease forming in her stomach.

"Do you have one?" The girl responded to the question with another question.

"On my rifle I do."

The fingers on her shoulder paused for a moment, then continued.

"I'll be okay."

Yang nodded slowly.

The sudden feeling of cold steel against her feverish skin nearly made her jump, and it earned a muted chuckle from the girl sitting beside her.

"Easy. I'm just cutting away some of your sleeve. It's really stuck to you in spots, what with the dried blood and all."

The sick feeling in her stomach only grew stronger, and Yang swallowed roughly. This was going to take a while.

* * *

It was a little over an hour later when the girl declared that she had finished. Clean white bandage covered Yang's arm from shoulder to palm, only parting near her elbow to allow her to bend it. It was far from a uniform covering; the worst damage was to her forearm, and here the bandage bulged around thick gauze pads, absorbing blood in an attempt to let her body stitch itself back together.

Stitches. That was something the girl was blessedly good at. Some of the smaller wounds were stitched back together, though the raven-clad girl warned her to seek more advanced treatment should she survive long enough.

Yang sighed, physically and mentally exhausted as she leaned back against the back of the couch.

"Thank you." Yang spoke quietly. Turning her head to the right, she reached up with her left hand to brush her hair from her face as she examined the quiet girl beside her.

"What's your name, anyway?" Yang asked, after failing to earn a response from the girl.

Again, the girl stared at her wordlessly, before finally blinking.

"Does it matter?"

Yang pursed her lips a moment, then shrugged. Reaching into her vest pocket, she felt around. She had three more protein bars. Fingers closing around one, she pulled it out.

"Could this perhaps convince you to talk? It isn't like we have much else to do here."

The raven-haired girl tilted her head to the side as she contemplated the offering, eyes catching the dim light just so and appearing to glow a dull, hollow red.

It was highly unsettling, and Yang shivered.

"My name is Blake." The girl finally spoke, reaching out and taking the offering.

"I'm Yang." The blonde spoke amidst the sound of a crinkling plastic wrapper being torn open.

The girl said nothing, but raised the bar to her mouth and took a bite. Chewing slowly, she stared unblinkingly at Yang.

"So what drove you to find this little abandoned hut?" Yang asked quietly, looking away from the unnaturally beautiful girl beside her.

"Myself and my team happened upon a group of scouts just north of here. We were on our way back from an extended foray for supplies. There were only four of us. It was our own fault, I suppose. Last we heard there was no one in our area, so we were a bit surprised when we happened upon them. We engaged them, but we were a mess. Myself, being a sniper, was almost useless in a close quarters firefight. My spotter had an automatic weapon, thankfully, and laid down suppressing fire until we could get our shit together. It wasn't enough, though. One by one we were knocked off until it was just me. Knowing that it would be a death sentence to try to fight back, I retreated. They tried to follow me, but I was much faster than them. I found this place, and, " The girl gestured to Yang, "You know the rest."

Yang nodded slowly, letting her eyes roam over her unlikely medic. The girl took the opportunity to take another bite of the crunchy bar, and chewed it thoughtfully, seemingly unaware of Yang's wandering gaze. Lilac eyes roved up and down the girl, picking out things she hadn't noticed earlier. The girl's clothes were dirty, signs of a struggle quite evident. The sniper rifle that leaned against the couch by her feet was, in contrast, immaculate.

The girl had crumbs on her cheek. Roving eyes lifted back to the girl's face, studying her as Blake stared off unseeingly into the distance.

Blake had crumbs on her cheek, and it was really distracting.

"Want some?"

Lilac eyes lifted to meet muted amber, which were staring at her now, a curious expression on her face. She was holding out the bar to Yang, a raised eyebrow accompanying her question.

Yang looked down at it, seeing a near perfect crescent moon shape bitten out of it.

"You're probably not hungry, but you should eat. Your body needs every little bit of help to heal your arm." The girl's voice was low, devoid of emotion, as if she truly didn't care whether Yang listened to her advice or not.

Yang suspected she didn't.

Yet, the girl was right.

Leaning forward, Yang dipped her head, taking a bite out of the offered snack. It was dry, and not particularly appetizing, but it was good for her, and it was that thought that forced her to chew.

"Thanks." Yang spoke around a mouthful of nuts and oats, and the girl rolled her eyes. At what, Yang wasn't sure, and the girl didn't seem to care to explain. Raising the bar up to her own lips, she seemed to hesitate a moment. Yang swore she thought the girl was sniffing it, but a split second later, the girl took another bite.

Okay, it was really bothering her. Without thinking, Yang reached out, brushing her fingertips along Blake's cheek.

"Wh- !" The girl leaned away, eyes widening in alarm as panic spread across her face. Instantly her hand went for her knife in her chest mounted sheath, and Yang raised her hand defensively.

"Whoa whoa whoa, sorry! You had- there were crumbs on your- your cheek, I - they were bugging me, I had to get them off!"

The girl paused, glaring at Yang as her face darkened. Staring at the blonde, neither moved as they assessed the other, and when her arm began to tremble, Yang slowly lowered it to her lap.

Blake's hand remained on the handle of her knife.

"I would ask you to not do that again." She hissed quietly, evidently quite pissed at the blonde. Yang nodded, a bit abashed at how quickly she'd upset the other girl.

The girl with three functioning weapons, she thought.

"Okay, sorry, it won't happen again."

At those words, the raven-haired girl sighed. Lowering her hand from her knife, she nonetheless sat up a bit straighter, eyeing Yang distrustfully.

"How long are you staying here?" The faunus asked, her tone guarded.

Yang shrugged. "Until I feel strong enough to leave." She thought it wise not to tell the girl about her activated beacon.

"You should probably sleep, then. It'll help."

Yang snickered at that.

"So you can rob me blind? Kill me? Do you think I'm stupid?"

The girl beside her laughed, a sharp, dismissive sound.

"I could rob you now if I wanted. I have many working weapons and the use of both of my arms. I also have my pride, and would do no such thing. Sleep, or don't, I don't care. I'll be leaving once I feel a bit better. I know I can't expect you to trust or believe me, but I wouldn't attack someone who isn't a threat. In your condition, you're no threat to me. And I wouldn't kill someone I just spent an hour fixing up. So do whatever you want. You have my word that I won't do anything to you unless you provoke me."

Yang, at a loss for words, watched as the raven-haired girl nestled into the corner of the couch, pulling her legs up beneath her. Pulling off her hat, two soft looking, furry ears popped up, swiveling left and right before the left one turned to point at Yang. Refusing to meet Yang's stare, she closed her eyes, resting her hand over the handle of her knife.

"Don't do anything you'd regret." The girl warned, tossing her hat onto the floor next to her rifle. Inhaling deeply, she sighed, nuzzling into the side of the couch as she relaxed.

Yang stared at her for a few minutes, half convinced that it was a ploy. But when the girl's breathing slowed, Yang began to realize just how exhausted she was herself. The pain in her arm had subsided to a dull roar, which was an improvement over how it had felt before.

Yang sighed, and Blake's fuzzy, cat-like ear twitched in response.

She supposed there'd be no issue with just closing her eyes for a minute...

Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes as her left hand slid surreptitiously underneath the pillow by her side. Wrapping her hand around the handle of her gun, she relaxed as best she could with an enemy fighter curled up mere inches away from her.

After all, it wasn't like she was going to fall asleep or anything.

* * *

Yang awoke with a start, twisting her head left and right as she blinked spots from her eyes. Disoriented, Yang reached up to rub her face as she realized that she'd fallen asleep.

"You snore."

Heart racing, Yang's head whipped to her right. There, curled up in the same spot, was Blake.

The faunus.

Staring at her.

"What?" Yang asked, her voice rough. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "What do you mean?"

The girl raised an eyebrow, looking at her sullenly.

"You had your head leaned back on the couch. It made you snore. It's annoying."

Yang looked away, glancing down at the wrapping on her right arm. It was slightly more red than it had been before.

"Sorry about that." Yang spoke dryly, not feeling very sorry at all. "How long was I out?"

"Not long. Half an hour, maybe." The faunus' voice was low, and it was hard to decipher the emotion behind her tone.

Yang nodded slowly, dropping her left hand down onto the pillow behind her. Beneath her palm it felt uniform, and she felt a sharp stab of panic lace through her. As casually as she could, she tucked her hand underneath the pillow, and utter dread ravaged her body as she realized that her gun was missing.

Wounded and defenseless, she sat mere inches away from the enemy she swore to defend her people against.

"Looking for this?"

Yang whipped her head back toward Blake, and her heart fell as she saw her gun in Blake's hand, a cheeky grin adorning her face.

The faunus casually spun it around her index finger, and Yang caught a glimpse of the magazine well. It was empty.

Cursing internally, Yang couldn't help but watch the girl warily. She had to believe that the girl had ulterior motives. Even if she had offered help to Yang, it could have been just to ensure that she survived long enough to be taken prisoner, and tortured for information. That thought alone was enough to make her body tense painfully, so she tried to put that thought to the back of her mind.

Blake let the gun spin into her hand, and she swiftly racked the slide. The bullet that had been in the chamber was ejected, and she caught it easily.

"Here, catch." Blake spoke softly, tossing the now useless gun at Yang. Reaching out, Yang snagged the gun awkwardly with her left hand, swearing softly as her finger was bent back by the trigger guard.

"What were you planning on doing with that, hmm?" The faunus spoke, a teasing, condescending tone to her words. To Yang's ears, it sounded like her voice was wavering, but it could have just been Yang's imagination.

The blonde shrugged. "Whatever needed to be done." She answered cryptically.

Blake laughed. "Well, sorry I ruined that for you. Although, now I can confidently say that you have no more weapons on your _entire_ person."

The way Blake phrased her words unnerved Yang. What else had Blake done while she slept? Where else had the deft girl's fingers prodded, picking over her gear and taking her possessions?

Yang could feel the rest of her meal rations against her chest without having to reach in and check, and she was somewhat relieved to find that Blake hadn't stolen the rest of her food.

So far, the girl only seemed interested in protecting herself.

Or was that what she wanted Yang to believe?

A stab of anxiety shot through her as she wondered if Blake had her own position transmitter. What would happen if Blake's forces arrived before her own?

Certain death would happen, Yang was sure of it.

Although, probably not before she was forced to divulge whatever information they wanted to know.

Her mind ran away with that thought, and the resulting vivid images turned her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to breathe deeply and slowly. She needed to calm down and think her way out of this situation she'd dug herself into. She'd lost the only advantage she'd had, and now she had to try to make up for it.

Whatever she did, it had to be sneaky. Blake was obviously very perceptive, and to fool her would be difficult.

And right now, with no plan, it would be downright impossible.

Sighing in frustration, Yang leaned her head back against the couch, despair beginning to settle over her. Blake didn't seem intent on killing her just yet, so with any luck she could fall back asleep.

And hopefully she snored so goddamn loud that it drove the bitch crazy.

Closing her eyes, Yang scooted forward, attempting to lean back far enough to take the pressure off her lower back. It was going to be a long night if this is how she'd have to sleep.

Seconds turned into minutes as silence settled in around them, and Yang had once again almost drifted off into a shallow, uneasy sleep when a soft intake of breath caught her attention. Instantly snapping her awake, Yang focused her hearing on the girl beside her.

Opening one eye, Yang tilted her head toward Blake.

"Something wrong?" She asked, not particularly caring even if there was.

"No." Came a terse response.

Opening both eyes now, Yang turned to get a good look at the girl, disbelief written across her face.

"Are you sure?" Yang studied the girl.

The faunus was curled up as small as she could get, legs tucked underneath her body and arms crossed over her chest.

Her bare arms.

Suddenly it clicked.

"You're cold?" Yang asked, at the same time that Blake spoke, "I'm cold."

Snorting mirthlessly, Yang took a small amount of comfort in that. Reaching up with her good arm, she peeled open the velcro strap that held her phone. Apparently deemed harmless by Blake, it hadn't been taken from her, and for that, Yang was happy. Pulling it halfway out, she tilted the screen toward her face and pulled up the information tab.

A cyclic series of windows flashed into and out of view.

Weather; 4 degrees, chance of light precipitation. Phone life; 38 percent. Advanced BDU life; 43 percent. Temperature regulation; 12 degrees.

Yang had forgotten that the vest she was wearing, the one that had protected much of her torso from the explosion that had mangled her arm had, among other things, heating and cooling features.

Right now small filaments of wire had minute amounts of current running through them, heating her vest up and keeping her body warm even as the air temperature around her approached freezing.

It was automatic, something she never thought about, and she hadn't even been aware that the temperature was dropping.

"Sounds like a 'you' problem." Yang said snidely, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the couch.

Blake said nothing.

Cracking open one eye, Yang glanced at the girl beside her on the couch. Her head was bowed, chin nearly to her chest as she clung tightly to herself, probably trying to suppress her shivering.

 _Why should I feel bad, after what she's done?_ Yang thought dismissively. _Stealing my gun..._ Yang scoffed to herself.

 _Patching me up... which would have been deadly serious if I didn't get help..._

Guilt began to bleed through her manufactured indifference, but she pushed it down.

 _That girl is nothing but a dirty faunus. Enemy of humans. That's it. If she freezes to death, so be it._

Yang closed her eyes, missing the comforting weight of her gun in her hand.

 _I shouldn't have even gave her my food._

With that thought weighing down all the others, Yang drifted off into an uneasy nap.

* * *

Yang awoke a short time later to her arm throbbing, and annoyance flooded through her as she realized that she hadn't been asleep for very long.

Something had woken her up, and it wasn't her arm.

A whimper split the silence of the night, and Yang's brow furrowed. Glancing sideways at the faunus next to her, her anger began to ebb as she took in the pitiful sight.

The girl was clutching her knees to her chest, forehead resting on her knees. Her strange second set of animal ears were pressed flat to her head, and it was a stark contrast to the girl who had kicked Yang's rifle from her hands mere hours ago.

Despite being bathed in shadow, Yang was still able to pick out the odd tremble here and there, and small vibrations of movement reached her through the couch cushions.

The girl was freezing.

Yang surreptitiously checked her phone. The outside air temperature had dropped to zero.

It was freezing outside.

Yang cleared her throat softly. Guilt began to percolate up through the blanket of distaste she held for the faunus.

It was true that the faunus were no more than fairly intelligent animals. Yet even animals didn't deserve to starve and freeze to death.

Another glance at her phone. The forecast predicted a further nine degrees of temperature drop before it would start to climb in the early hours of the morning.

Yang would survive with no issues.

Blake trembled violently beside her, shaking the couch.

While the air temperature alone wouldn't be enough to kill the girl, she'd probably be wishing that she were dead.

Yang sighed in resignation.

This was probably a terrible idea.

"Hey, are you sleeping?" Yang spoke softly.

"N-No. Of course not." The girl's teeth audibly tapped together, and her voice was as shaky as her body. "How the hell could I sleep like this?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "I don't need the snark."

"I don't care what you need."

Yang snickered. "Fine, fuck ya then. Freeze, for all I care."

The girl lifted her head to glare at Yang, eyes narrowing to mere slits as she studied the blonde.

"What, do you have some way for me to _not_ freeze?" She asked sardonically.

Yang nodded. " _Yup._ I sure did. Too bad for you though that you're a bitch."

The girl laughed, her voice weak and shaking. Rubbing her hands together, she squeezed her hands into fists in an attempt to circulate blood into her fingertips.

"Don't tell me you want to _cuddle._ "

Yang flushed at the jeering tone, but it was more so from anger than embarrassment.

"I don't want to cuddle. You should want to cuddle." Yang raised a hand and plucked at her vest. "My vest is heated. I'm almost too warm."

Yang felt satisfaction wash over her as the girl seemed at a loss for words, eyes widening in the near darkness of the room. Her lips parted, forming a little 'o' as she realized what Yang had said.

"I could just take the vest from you. That would solve my problem." Blake tried to sound threatening, but the chattering of her teeth caused Yang to erupt in laughter, throwing her head back as she abandoned any attempt at being silent.

"Yeah right! You lay a hand on me and I'll punch you so fucking hard it'll break your fragile, frozen neck."

Blake's ears drooped, and her head dipped. "I'll shoot you."

Yang shook her head.

"No you won't. Even if you wanted to. I'm no stranger to the cold. All of your joints are frozen. Your fingers barely obey you. You might as well be trying to pick a needle from a haystack while wearing oven mitts, for how dexterous your digits are right now."

Blake opened her mouth to speak, and Yang raised an eyebrow expectantly. After a second, Blake closed her mouth, looking away. Trying her best to suppress her shivers, she was ineffective as her shoulders trembled.

"Night Blake!" Yang spoke cheerily. Sliding over to the opposite side of the couch, she leaned back into the corner, kicking her legs up onto the empty cushion that separated them. Folding her damaged arm carefully over her chest, she exhaled slowly.

All in all, this wasn't so bad. Help should arrive by the morning, and she could get back to her own bed.

Maybe this time she could nap for more than twenty minutes. Her breathing slowed, and as she began to drift in and out of consciousness, she tried her best to keep her ears trained on the faunus girl on the other side of the couch. At the slightest hint of movement, Yang wanted to be ready to punch her into next week.

Gods, this vest was warm...

* * *

Yang never felt the couch move, but she was jerked into consciousness when she felt a hand on her wrist. Instantly awake, all of her senses kicked into overdrive as she took in every little detail she could. Even as her heart rate shot through the roof, she pretended to be asleep, wanting to have the upper hand and the element of surprise in case Blake tried to harm her.

Right now, every instinct in her body was freaking out, telling her to grab Blake's wrist and retaliate. Yang waited, however, for the girl to creep closer. She was still out of range, and any confrontation where Blake had the advantage of Yang mostly on her back wasn't a favourable one.

Yang needed to wait for Blake to come close enough for Yang to get her hands around the faunus' throat.

A sharp lancing pain in her shoulder brought Yang's thoughts back to the present as Blake slowly lifted Yang's arm. Curious as to what the girl was doing, Yang kept her eyes securely closed, even as her ears strained to pick up the slightest whisper of movement.

A second later, and it became apparent what Blake was doing. The girl crawled underneath Yang's arm, pressing her body to Yang's chest before pulling Yang's arm back around her stomach. Trembling violently against Yang's still body, the shivering faunus pressed tightly to the blonde in an attempt to pick up any shred of heat she could.

"Cold?" Yang murmured cheekily.

"Shut up."

Yang exhaled sharply in lieu of expending enough energy to actually laugh. With Blake's head tucked up nearly against her chin, her breath rustled the fur along Blake's strange looking animal ears.

"Can I move? Or will you threaten to shoot me again?" Yang asked, her tone scathing.

Blake seemed to consider it for a moment.

"I'll allow it."

A sharp reply died on Yang's tongue as she realized that it wasn't worth it. Pulling her legs carefully around Blake, she wrapped both arms around Blake's shoulders, pulling the girl tightly to her chest. With Blake's hands tucked firmly between the girl's thighs to warm up, it gave Yang a small sense of security, knowing that her hands could be up to Blake's throat in a second if she had to, if the girl decided to try something funny.

With Blake laying on her left side against Yang's chest, it was a not uncomfortable presence that warmed her from the front just as nicely as she was sure she was warming Blake. Tucking her head down, Yang closed her eyes as she rested her cheek against the top of Blake's head.

"Do you want me to turn the heat up?" Yang murmured softly.

The girl in her arms shook pitifully. "Can you? For a bit?"

Yang nodded slowly, her cheek nuzzling between the girl's odd looking ears. Reaching up with her left hand, she found a small rubber patch on her left shoulder strap. Pressing it twice, a soft beep reached her ears, signalling the highest heat level her vest could go.

"In a few minutes, you're gonna be uncomfortably warm." Yang advised. The girl said nothing, but nodded slowly. Inhaling deeply, Yang yawned. She was exhausted, and wanted to sleep for longer than twenty minutes at a time, but with a faunus girl pressed up against her body, her mental alarm bells were screaming full tilt, preventing her from doing anything remotely close to calming down enough to sleep.

"Why are we fighting?" Blake murmured, loudly enough to catch Yang's attention.

Yang was caught off guard by the question, and she took a moment to think it over.

"What do you mean?" She finally asked, when her mind failed to find a suitable answer.

"You're not a bad person, for a human. I'm not a bad person. I'm just a faunus. Why are we fighting each other?"

Yang shrugged with her left shoulder.

"Me, personally? Because it's what I believe in. To protect the ones I love from the ones who want to see us die. That's you." In sharp juxtaposition to her words, Yang squeezed the girl a bit tighter, trying to transfer as much body heat as she could to the still cold girl.

"I don't want to kill anyone. I just want to keep us free from human rule. Free from the ones who think they're better than us. The ones who see us as no more than animals." Blake tilted her head back, looking up at Yang with wide amber eyes.

"That's you." Her words were barely audible, but Yang saw her lips move, felt her soft breath ghosting over her skin.

"I- "

Yang was at a loss for words. Tearing her gaze away from those entrancing amber eyes, she looked around the room, finding something, anything to stare at that wasn't the bewitching girl in her arms.

"I'm not... like that." Yang finished lamely.

Even she didn't believe her own words, and apparently it showed, as Blake snickered, lowering her head back down to rest against Yang's chest.

"Do you honestly believe that?" Blake asked lightly.

Yang shook her head.

"No. I believe that we're all a bit scared. Scared of something or someone that's different from us. Someone that looks differently than we do is scary. We don't trust it, we don't want to trust it and open ourselves up to being hurt. I'd rather kill you than get to know you and give you a chance to kill me. You're different, and therefore you're bad."

Blake hummed quietly.

"We can't all be so bad, can we?"

Yang pursed her lips together, brows furrowing over lilac eyes.

"Not all of you. You're not so bad, I guess. But what, one out of what? A hundred? A thousand? What are the odds?"

Blake shifted in Yang's lap.

"It's funny." She spoke without a trace of humor in her voice, "That's exactly how we feel about humans."

"We're not bad people!" Yang insisted, fingers tightening against the soft flesh of Blake's arm.

"All we're doing is retaliating for the bombs that you faunus brought into our cities and towns. People died, a lot of them!"

Blake seemed to stiffen in her grasp.

"The bombs we set off in Highgard were justified. All we killed were slave owners who thought they could get away with using us as free labor in the mines. They were worthless."

Yang tightened her grip on the girl, ignoring the way she winced in pain.

"No human life is worthless, that's what you animals don't understand." Yang's voice was acidic, anger overflowing into every syllable.

"Animals?" Blake's tone was low, dangerous. "Why do you all think we're so much less than human?"

Yang scoffed. "Because you behave like animals. Suicide bombings, night raids, ambushes and guerrilla warfare. It's infuriating. Nothing but needless loss of human life."

"We die too!" Blake practically shouted, and as she trembled against Yang, the blonde suspected that it had less to do with the cold, and more to do with unrestrained anger.

"Stop enslaving us and we'll stop killing you." Blake growled.

Yang threw her left hand up in the air helplessly. "Yeah, stop behaving like animals with such senseless killing and we'll stop treating you like animals."

"Ugh! Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!" Blake screamed, thrashing in Yang's grasp. The faunus grabbed Yang's hand, intending on pushing her away, but they both froze at the contact. Skin against skin, neither of them moved. Blake's hand rested in Yang's palm, and Yang slowly curled her fingers around Blake's hand.

"You're still freezing cold." Yang whispered. Her voice was laden with sorrow, and she held Blake's hand tightly in her own. Despite being uncertain why, Yang tried to rub Blake's fingers in an attempt to warm up her hands. Tearing her gaze away from their entwined hands, Blake glanced up at Yang, her amber eyes widening as she looked into subdued lilac.

"You're so warm." Blake's voice broke, and she choked back a sob as Yang sighed, lowering her forehead to rest against Blake's.

"I'm sorry, Blake."

"For?" The faunus barely got the word out, breath catching in her throat.

"For everything. I'm scared. We are scared. We, as a collective, are terrified. We react with anger and violence, and all it does is propagate anger and violence. We dehumanize you, and it makes it easier to rationalize the things we do. It's nothing new. I can't stop it, and neither can you. People will always hate and fear those that are different. But we can try, can't we? I don't think we'll ever close the divide between us, but we can try to lessen it, can't we?"

Yang exhaled slowly, a tired sound that left her feeling defeated and more exhausted than before.

"I don't want to hate. I don't want to hate you. But sometimes it's just safer to hate and divide than to put yourself out there and fight for a change."

The faunus shifted in her arms, getting a bit more comfortable as she leaned into Yang's warmth.

"As long as humans and faunus distrust each other, no progress will ever be made." Blake spoke quietly. "There can be no progress without complete trust, and as long as you're shaking hands with your right, and holding a knife behind your back with your left, nothing will change. No one wants to take that risk. So nothing will change."

"So what can we do?" Yang asked somberly.

Blake shrugged helplessly.

"Just continue to look out for number one, I guess." Her voice was soft, velvety to Yang's ears.

Yang involuntarily tightened her grip on the girl.

"That doesn't exactly instill hope for a peaceful future."

"But if you fight hard enough, and kill them before they kill you, it'll be a future where you're still alive, and isn't that all that matters?"

Yang swallowed roughly. "I- I don't know."

They were quiet for a while after that. Blake's cold induced convulsions had slowed, then stopped. Still, neither of them moved, lost in their own thoughts of a dark, dismal future. The conversation had slowly devolved into one of convoluted, intangible thoughts, and somewhere along the line, it had stopped making sense.

"We're all really just small cogs in the great war machine, aren't we?" Yang broke the silence, "If we die, it doesn't matter. Replace the broken cog with a new one, and the war machine marches onward."

Blake nodded slowly, too tired to speak.

"But what if we tried?" Yang asked.

"Tried what?" Blake barely got the words out, exhaustion beginning to tug on her eyelids.

"What if we tried to trust each other? To heal the divide that's separated us?"

"How the hell would you do that?"

Yang chuckled.

"Honestly? I don't know. But I'm willing to try if you are. Because all we can do is try."

"You don't know what you're saying." Blake dismissed her. "Now shush. You're comfy and I'm tired."

Yang felt her face heat up, embarrassment flooding through her as the girl nestled deeper into her arms.

"I'm serious, Blake. When you wake up, we're going to fix this, or die trying."

Blake nuzzled her cheek against Yang's chest.

"When I wake up, " Blake slurred, beginning to lose consciousness, "We're going to go our separate ways. We'll hate and fear each other until we die. Ad infinitum."

Yang reached up slowly with her left hand, heart racing in her chest. Gently caressing Blake's cheek, she cradled the sleeping girl protectively to her. She might still hate the faunus. Tonight hadn't changed that.

But she didn't quite hate this one so much anymore. And it made her wonder if there were any others out there worth not hating.

Letting her hand slip from Blake's cheek to her arm, Yang slowly slid her hand up and down Blake's exposed arm, the light friction beginning to warm her skin.

"It doesn't mean we can't try."

* * *

Author's note: I really enjoy stories where Yang and Blake dislike or even downright abhor each other in the beginning, as it is a great opportunity for character development. This, being a one-shot, didn't leave a lot of room for that, but I wanted to try my hand at it anyway. Bit of a long one here, but hopefully you enjoyed it.

If you have any fanfic recommendations in this sort of style, I'd love to read them.


	63. Approval

_Of Sunsets and Night Skies_

 _Chapter Sixty-Three: Approval_

 _BumbleBY, White Rose_

* * *

"Thanks for meeting me on such short notice." Weiss nodded appreciatively to the blonde across the table from her as she sat down in the less-than-comfortable rigid restaurant seat.

Said blonde, who Weiss couldn't help but notice was sprawled out in the chair like she owned the place, scoffed dismissively.

"C'mon, Weiss. Enough with that. You're family. Family don't arrange meetings through schedules and day planners. You need me, I'm here, you know that."

Another terse nod.

"Right. Well, at any rate, I appreciate it, Yang. It's a sensitive topic I need to address with you."

Yang sat up a bit straighter, an inkling of what was coming slowly seeping into her mind.

"What's going on, Weiss?"

Instead of speaking, the usually prim, properly put together young woman flagged down a passing waitress. The waitress, Yang noted with a wry smirk, wasn't even assigned to this section of the restaurant, and wasn't the waitress that had served Yang her hot chocolate mere minutes before Weiss had walked in.

Still, the uniformed brunette bore the interruption with a well-worn smile, pulling out a pen and roughed up pad of paper from her apron pocket.

"One coffee please. Cream and sugar on the side."

When the girl left, Weiss turned back to Yang and set her elbows on the table, steepling her fingers together as she fixed Yang with a critical look.

Yang leaned back in her chair, her leather jacket protesting the movement as it tightened around her shoulders.

"So what is it?" Yang asked, puzzlement coloring her tone as she stared at the silver-white haired girl across from her.

Weiss heaved a tired sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. Yang took this opportunity to study the girl in detail, noting her less than perfect ponytail and slightly skewed hairpiece.

Weiss looked frazzled.

When Weiss opened sharp, pale blue eyes, Yang snapped her attention back to Weiss' face, pausing for a fraction of a second at the ill-concealed scar that passed through her left eye.

"How did you know that Blake was the one for you?" Weiss asked carefully after a moment's consideration.

Not expecting a question like that, Yang hummed softly as she picked up her hot chocolate. Blowing gently at the foam that bubbled up against the rim, she watched it swirl and dissolve in the hot liquid, small white marshmallows bobbing up and down. Taking a sip, she winced as the still too hot drink scalded the tip of her tongue.

Setting the drink down, Yang decided to tackle the question like she would anything else. Honestly and head on, no canned responses.

"I didn't. I didn't know that Blake was the one for me. There was a good possibility that she wasn't the one for me."

Weiss frowned, confusion marring her face as she scowled.

"But you two are the most perfect, happy couple I know. If anyone was destined for anyone else, it would be you two."

Yang grinned wryly at that.

"Weiss, you don't actually believe in destiny, do you? You're too... smart? Level-headed, I guess... ? for that stuff." Yang struggled to articulate her thoughts, but luckily Weiss knew what she was trying to say.

"I know I'm not the type to have my head in the clouds Yang, but - " She paused as a small saucer was placed in front of her, holding a cup of steaming hot coffee. Weiss nodded her thanks, daintily arranging the mess of creamers and sugar packets into neat rows on opposing sides of her cup.

"- But I'm Blake's best friend. I know full well what you two have gone through over the years, I'm well aware of the history between you both. I know how much you've struggled to make it in a world full of grimm that want you dead, and full of humans that fear the faunus because they don't understand them. It hasn't been easy, for either of you, and that's why I think there's more than just the simple desire to be together that holds the two of you together."

Yang shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Weiss."

Weiss paused a moment to tear open a packet of sugar.

"So it's your opinion that you two aren't soulmates, destined to be together forever, the subject of romance novels for a millenia to come?" Weiss' voice took on a teasing tone, as she raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Yang shrugged again. "I'm sure Blake sees it that way." Yang chuckled, reaching up to scratch at her cheek. "She is the more romantic type, after all."

"So what's your opinion on it all, then?"

Yang pursed her lips together for a moment, her gaze falling to the cup in front of her.

"Honestly? I never once thought that Blake was the one for me. I couldn't begin to fathom the thought that I could be good enough for her. She deserves so much more, so much more than I could ever give her. The idea that Blake would ever be _mine_ , it seemed insane. Surely she would never settle. Even though it's been ten years, it still doesn't even seem real. Back then, when I first thought about asking her out, I did it because I didn't think I really had a chance. I'm the one to regret _not_ doing something, so I asked. I figured I'd get the heartbreak over with, so I could move on. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life wondering 'what if', you know?"

Weiss nodded slowly, staring intently at Yang. The blonde ignored the staring, having gotten used to it long, long ago.

"I was sure she'd turn me down. When she said yes, it really threw me for a loop. I wasn't sure what to do, because I wasn't expecting to get that far. I spent the rest of the night in Juniper's room panicking because I wasn't sure what to do."

Weiss failed to stifle an undignified snort of laughter, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth and clearing her throat to cover the sound.

Yang's mouth lifted in the hint of a smile, and she raised her head to look at Weiss.

"I know that doesn't really answer your question, though."

Weiss nodded slowly. "It doesn't." She admitted.

"I guess what I'm trying to ask, is if there was a sign, or a feeling that Blake was the one you wanted to be with for the rest of your life."

Again Yang shrugged. "I don't know. I never got that greedy. I don't look at my relationship with Blake as a lifelong commitment."

Weiss' eyes widened in alarm. "You don't?"

Yang bit her bottom lip. "Well, I do- I-" Yang paused, finding herself temporarily at a loss for words.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, yeah, I want to be with Blake for the rest of my life. I do. She's my world. But I can't afford to live with such narrow tunnel vision. Instead of taking Blake for granted with the assumption that we'll have the rest of our lives together, I treat her like I'll only have her for a day. I live my life with her one day at a time, because every day with her is a truly priceless gift that I'm incredibly grateful for. I don't want to get into a lazy routine, a pattern that assumes she'll always be around. I make it my mission to ensure that I always treat her like today is our last day together. That way, every day together is special."

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure that Blake is the romantic one?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "I like to think so."

Weiss dropped her gaze to her coffee up, wrapping her hands around the faded white porcelain.

"I'll admit, none of this is really answering my questions." She spoke quietly.

"Let's switch, then." Yang suggested, reaching up to push her unruly hair out of her face.

Weiss seemed reluctant, so Yang gently pushed.

"C'mon, obviously you called me here for something important. Let me help you."

Weiss chewed on her bottom lip ferociously, eyebrows furrowing in concentration as she stared at the table.

"I want your permission to ask Ruby out."

Truthfully, this wasn't a complete blindside to Yang. She had figured it had been coming for a long time. And right now, she didn't understand what Weiss' previous line of questioning had to do with it.

Still, she thought, it couldn't hurt to string the uptight heiress along for a while.

"Oooh, I don't know about that." Yang spoke quietly, her tone grave.

Weiss' head jerked up, blue eyes wide as she glared at Yang.

"What? Why the hell not?" The girl snapped, clearly not anticipating that answer.

Yang had to fight to keep the playful grin from appearing on her face.

"I don't give my sister away to just anyone." Yang spoke disapprovingly. "How do I know you'll treat her right?"

Weiss' lip curled up into a rarely seen snarl.

"I've treated Ruby like nothing but gold since before she moved in with me, and you know it, Xiao-Long." Weiss practically growled.

"We've been living together for two years, and I've taken excellent care of her!"

Yang pretended to think about it, tapping her chin idly as she studied Weiss.

"I dunno, is that something you want to put her through? I mean, I've never heard her talk about you or anything in any capacity other than as a friend."

Now, that was a downright lie, but Yang was pretty confident that Weiss didn't know that.

Weiss faltered for a moment.

"I- well- "

Yang 'tsk'ed quietly.

"Ugh! Like I even need your permission anyway!" Weiss snapped. "We're grown women."

Yang nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes you are."

Weiss glared silently at her for a moment, while Yang considered her next move.

"Convince me."

"Excuse me?" Weiss asked, fixing Yang with a sharp glare.

"Convince me." Yang repeated herself. "If you're serious about asking out Ruby, convince me that you really want her."

The confliction Weiss felt was evident on her face, and part of Yang was clearly enjoying it. Tormenting Weiss was one of the few things she hadn't grown out of since their time in Beacon.

"To be honest, Yang, I was hoping to find some sort of common ground with you."

"How so?"

Weiss raised a hand and gestured to Yang.

"When I asked you those questions. Your relationship with Blake is what I wish I had with Ruby. When I asked you how you knew Blake was the one, I was hoping to hear you say something similar to how I felt."

"How _do_ you feel?"

Weiss was slow to answer, and Yang could see the discomfort clear on her face. Discussing vulerable emotions was never Weiss' strong suit. Weiss was only comfortable expressing the emotion of disgust, disappointment, or disdain.

"I feel quite the opposite of you." Weiss' face was solomn as she spoke.

Yang hummed, a surprised sound in the back of her throat.

"Oh? Do tell."

"Call it arrogance, call it whatever you want, but I think I'm good for Ruby. I think I'm the best for Ruby, actually. I know her. I know her likes and dislikes, and I can read her like a book. I know her dreams for the future, and I know her darkest fears. I know how to best motivate her, and I know how to support her when she needs it, in a way that lets her succeed on her own merits, rather than carrying her when she doesn't need it."

Yang took a measured sip of hot chocolate, watching Weiss' fierce gaze slip lower and lower as she spoke, as if the weight of the words she spoke laid heavily upon her shoulders.

"I support her like no one else can, like no one else ever could. I'm her partner, and I know what she's capable of, often times more than she does. I refuse to coddle her, to let her slack off and be less than the best that I know she can be."

Here Weiss paused, as if to think about what she'd just said.

"Yet, just because I'm not willing to let her lean unneccessarily on the people that surround her _doesn't_ mean I won't treat her like the princess that she believes I am."

Weiss' face seemed to gain a few shades of red, much darker than it was a few moments ago.

Yang stared at her impassively, but on the inside she was practically melting.

Weiss, to her credit, carried on undaunted in the face of silence.

"Ruby is gorgeous, the prettiest girl - _woman -"_ Weiss corrected herself, "That I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Being by her side from day one at Beacon has been a privilege, and I'm lucky to have been able to watch her grow from an innocent young girl to a mature, amazing woman. In almost too many ways to count, she's helped me grow as well. I owe a lot of what I have today to her influence, her relentless friendship, and her ability to overcome whatever obstacle she puts her mind to, even if that obstacle is my objection to a loud-mouthed, hyper energetic, messy, careless... amazing, thoughtful, sweet girl."

Weiss looked up to meet Yang's eye.

"I'm confident that I'll be the absolute best for Ruby. For everything she's done for me, the friendship she's given to me, I owe her nothing less than my best, and I'll be proud to give her that every day for the rest of our lives."

Yang licked her lips slowly.

"I see." She spoke, after a moment.

Weiss leaned back in her seat, fixing the blonde with a stern, contemplative look.

"So?" She asked.

Yang shrugged.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked, her voice lowering as if afraid to be caught uttering a curse.

Yang took a slow, measured sip of her hot chocolate, thoroughly enjoying the torture she was putting Weiss through. Her gaze fell from Weiss' face to where her hands were clenched upon the table top, adorable little fists that nonetheless could deliver one hell of a punch if sufficiently annoyed.

"It means that I think you have your answer. You've made up your mind and I don't think anything I say would change it." Yang spoke quietly. "I think it's obvious that you love my sister very much, and from the way she talks about you, I think she feels the same. How could I ever think myself strong enough to stand in the way of that?"

Weiss pursed her lips for a moment, clearly thinking about what she wanted to say next.

"I need you to say it."

"Hmm?" Yang raised an eyebrow, an expression of puzzlement adorning her features.

"I need you to say it. That you give me permission. It's important."

Yang nodded slowly.

"Okay, I give you permission to ask out my sister. But, why?"

Weiss seemed visibly relieved at those words, shoulders drooping as she leaned back in her chair. Her expression, once annoyed, now seemed pleased. The hints of a smile graced Weiss' normally stoic face.

"Why?" Weiss repeated. Yang nodded, curiosity getting the best of her.

"It's a long story, " Weiss began, gesturing to Yang. "But, it stems from a conversation I had with Ruby a long time ago. I was curious as to why she had so little dating experience, even though we were in our final year at Beacon and several guys had shown interest in her. She said that anyone who wanted to ask her out had to ask permission from her older sister first." Weiss shrugged lightly. "I have no idea how many guys actually gathered up the courage to come and ask you, though."

Yang leaned back in her seat, turning her head to the left slightly to rub her chin along the edge of her leather collar.

"Hmm, none that I can remember. I wonder why that is?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I wonder." She mimicked dryly.

"But what's up with that?" Yang asked, raising her hands helplessly. "That's not something I ever imposed on her. Where did she get that idea?"

Weiss shook her head, silver hair falling like water over her shoulders.

"I don't know. So I asked her. It seemed awfully controlling, and a huge invasion of her privacy, and it was something I _did_ think at the time that you enforced."

"What did she say?" Yang asked, her tone dyed with unbridled curiosity.

Weiss half-smiled, the left side of her mouth lifting into the cutest of smirks.

"She said that she wanted your approval. She looks up to you in a big way, in a way I kind of wish she looked up to me. It makes sense; she's your younger sister, and you spent most of her childhood raising her. I get it. She thought that if they couldn't get your approval, then they weren't worth her time."

"My approval on what?" Yang asked, utterly bewildered. "We have _very_ different tastes in what we find attractive."

Weiss' smile dropped into a frown. "Okay, ignoring _that_ , I'll explain. From what I understand, she wanted your approval on their strength and ambition, then they weren't worth her time. That girl is obsessed with fighting grimm, and she said the only person she'd consider dating was someone that could keep up to her on the battlefield."

Yang nodded slowly. "I... see." It was evident that she didn't quite see.

Weiss was silent, but her head dipped as her face darkened a shade. Studying her curiously, it took a moment for it to click.

Eyes widening, Yang leaned forward and slapped the table with her palm.

"Ohh! That's around the time you doubled your training regimen for apparently no reason!"

"Yes... "

Yang ignored the looks she'd drawn from the other patrons with her outburst, leaning back in her seat once more and crossing her arms over her chest triumphantly, as if she'd figured it out on her own and Weiss hadn't just nearly spelled it out for her.

"I remember that now, you got really into agility training, and even got Blake to help you with your speed and dexterity."

"Yes... "

Yang hummed quietly.

"Well, it worked." Yang surmised, reaching up to tap at her bottom lip. "You became one of the surprisingly stronger members of our group."

"What do you mean _surprisingly_?"

Yang reached out and waved her hands in the air, indicating a rather thin shape.

"You're just so... dainty and small. It's really surprising to watch you punch someone so hard they get winded, that's all."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Weiss spoke dryly.

Yang nodded enthusiastically. "You should!"

Weiss said nothing, slowly lowering her gaze from Yang to her coffee.

"In any case, you have my complete approval." Yang spoke.

Weiss' head rose, and her eyes widened. "Really?"

Yang nodded. "Absolutely. Between your skill as a huntress and your feelings for my sister, I can honestly say there is no one I'd rather see her with. I know you'll make her happy, Weiss."

Weiss nodded slowly, exhaling softly. Her breath was shaky, but she seemed to be okay.

"Thank you, Yang."

Yang grinned, waving her off as she stood. "No problem, Weiss!"

Weiss looked up at the blonde as Yang pulled a single key from her pocket. Attached to the key was a solitary red rectangular tag, with blocky white writing across it that read, "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT".

If Weiss remembered correctly, Yang had dared Blake to lift it from an engine cover latch on a parked Bullhead some years ago. It was surprising to see that she'd still kept it.

"You're leaving?" Weiss asked.

Yang nodded, raising her hands up above her head as she stretched.

"Yyyyup." Yang closed her eyes as her back audibly cracked, making Weiss wince in sympathy.

"I hate to bail so quickly, " Yang dropped her arms to her sides, "But I gotta get home before I forget all that mushy stuff I said earlier. If I repeat that to Blake, it won't take a minute for me to be drowning in that sweet pu-"

"Ohhhhkaaaaay!" Weiss pushed herself up from her seat, an appalled expression twisting across her face.

Yang raised her hands helplessly. "What?"

Weiss crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at Yang as the blonde dug a crumpled old bill from her pocket and tossed it onto the table.

"You were gonna say something vulgar."

"I wasn't!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Oh? Go on then, say it for everyone to hear." Sweeping an arm around the restaurant, she began walking after Yang, who was making a hasty retreat.

"Err- okay, yeah, it was pretty lewd." Yang laughed nervously, reaching up to run her hand through her hair.

"God, I don't know how Blake puts up with you sometimes. She's so refined, and you're just-"

"I'm what?" Yang at least had the grace to sound offended, despite not taking Weiss' words to heart.

"You're... " Weiss seemed to struggle with her choice of words, and Yang grinned at her as she held the door open for the petite heiress.

"I'm the best, Weiss, and don't you forget it!"

Weiss stepped to the curb where Yang's bike sat. Yang threw her leg over it casually, settling herself in the seat as she inserted the key into the ignition. Turning it to 'Run', she rested her finger on the starter button.

"You are the best, Yang." Weiss nodded slowly. "Thank you for being so understanding about Ruby and I. Wish me luck."

Leaning forward, Weiss wrapped her arms around Yang's neck. Chuckling softly, Yang hugged the silve-haired girl tightly.

"Everything will be fine. Ruby adores you, you know." Yang released Weiss, and gently pushed her away from the bike.

"Stop wasting time here with me, go see Ruby. I just know it'll make her day."

Before Weiss could respond, Yang ran her finger over the starter button, and the engine cranked over into a thunderous roar. Flashing Weiss a grin, the blonde kicked her bike into gear. Revving the bike out a bit more than necessary, Yang slipped the clutch as she pulled out into traffic. Winding the engine out as high as it would go, Weiss was temporarily deafened as Yang banged the rev limiter for a second before shifting gears.

And just like that, Yang was gone.

Smiling to herself, Weiss pulled out her scroll and summoned her car. Yang might be obnoxious, obtuse, vulgar, and number of other things, but through it all, she'd never been anthing less than a caring friend and wonderful team member.

As her car rolled up to the curb, four way flashers blinking to indicate that it was moving autonomously, Weiss approached the door. The door handles popped out of the body, presenting themselves to her, and she carefully pulled one open.

Dropping herself into the seat, she closed the door. Instantly the car began moving, pulling out seamlessly into traffic and accelerating silently.

With her stomach twisting this way and that as nervousness began spreading throughout her body, she knew she had a ten minute drive to Ruby's house to figure out all the ways she could screw this up.

But with Yang's whole-hearted approval behind her, she had a pretty good chance of having it all go just right.

* * *

Author's note: I love White Rose so much. They're so adorable!


End file.
